- By Geetasree

The Assamese Community of Calgary celebrated Rongali Bihu on 13th of April, 2013 in the Scandinavian Centre, Calgary, Canada. The images are respectively children’s Bihu dance, children’s “Bilote Xalise….” dance, Bihu group-2, Calgary Assamese ladies performing at Jubilee Auditorium, Omkar-Atharva’s Bollywood dance, and young adults of Calgary.

-By Gitimoni Baruah, Brampton, ON, Canada

“Rongali Bihu” orgainized by Asom Sangha Canada Community Association, celebrated the onset of “Assamese New Year” and  the advent of Spring in a very grand way this time on 13th April,2013 Saturday at Caterina’s Banquet Hall Mississauga, Ontario. About 40 families and a total of 170 people including guest and kids from Ontario, Ottawa, Buffalo, Windsor, and Detroit attended the event. The festival was inaugurated with the lighting of “diya’s” by  Mr. Apurba Hazarika . Mrs. Rita Baruah hosted for the event with Miss Ruchi Baruah and Miss Shivani Patel.  There were two sections in the program, the first section started with kids chorus singing late Jayanta Hazarika’s song “Gandhi Putola”  by Gargie P. Talukdar, Nikhita Baruah, Tanya Sharma, Sonia Sharma, Shreya Kashyap, Loya Bhuyan , Aditi Bhuyan, Arush Deka, Dhruv and  Ishika  Hazarika. This was followed by Miss Priya Bordoloi’s solo performance to a hindi no. and a song by Jishnu P. Talukdar. The kids Nikhita Baruah, Sonia Sharma, Ishika Hazarika, Dhruv Hazarika, Loya Bhuyan, Aditi Bhuyan, Arush Deka and  Maan Hazarika performed a group bihu dance. Tanya Sharma, Loya  Bhuyan and Shreya  Kashyap  each performed individual songs.The Hazarika brother’s Rubin & Ayan performed a hindi dance to a popular song.  Priyakshi Mahanta played piano and Gargi P. Talukdar performed a very traditional bihu dance with “kahi” and “japi”.

The adults program started with welcoming of chief guest/sponsor from Enersource  Company with gamucha. This was followed by ladies chorus “Edin Sandhiya beli” composed by Mr. Nabul Baruah with Mrs. Nilakshi Khataniar, Mrs Nitumoni Deka, Mrs. Jumi Hazarika, Mrs. Tara Bhuyan, Mrs.  Nayana Talukdar, Miss Shivani Patel, Mrs. Seema Barua Patel, Mrs. Uma P. Talukdar, Mrs. Gitimoni Baruah and Mrs. Deepali Sharma as participants and on the instruments we had Mr. Kaushik Bhatta on mendolin, Mr. Manas Sharma, Mr. Nabul Baruah  and Mr. Himadri Hazarika on guitar and Miss. Ruchi Baruah on the keyboard with a guest tablist . This was followed by Mrs. Kuntola Bhattacharya’s solo performance to late Bhupen Hazarika’s famous no. Mrs. Uma P. Talukdar, Mrs. Nayana Talukdar each performed a solo and a duet song. The gent’s chorus team consisting of Dr. Jibeswar Talukdar, Mr. Jitu Baruah, Mr. Raju Deka, Mr. Dhritiman Hazarika and Mr Ajit Baruah sang a famous Jyoti Prasad Agarwala’s song  “Luitor parore ami deka lora”.  Annapurna and Ankita Baruah performed a dance to a hindi no. and a guest artist performed Kathak dance, Raina  Lagachu and Namrata Deka performed a very beautiful  group bihu dance followed by Mrs.  Purbalee Das  solo vocal performance.  Bhavna Talukdar from Windsor performed a bihu dance that mesmerized the occasion. A ladies group bihu dance performed by Mrs. Deepali Sharma, Mrs. Gitimoni Baruah, Mrs. Nayana Talukdar, Mrs. Nitumoni Deka, Mrs Kuntola Bhattacharya and Mrs Uma P. Talukda that caught everybody’s attention. Mr. Kaushik Krishanu from Detroit invited the audience to Detroit Convention and he and his daughter each sang a wonderful assamese songs . Miss Shivani Patel sang a couple of melodious songs.
Mr. Jeet Das and his band performed beautiful no.s. The program wound up by vote of thanks by president of sangha Mr. Kaushik Bhattacharya and gamucha felicitation by Mrs. Gitimoni Baruah secretary of the sangha. Overall it was a very successful event.