-By Parthajit Baruah

As the pages of the calendar turned to April, the Assamese community could start drawing mental pictures of Kopou phul, hear the sweet sounds of Kuli-Keteki and the youth dancing to dhol-pepa-gogona in the distant fields. After months of despair in the cold New England weather, they were ready to welcome spring and Bohag Bihu. In eager anticipation, they spent weeks of practice late into the nights to celebrate Bohag Bihu. Organizers did not leave any stone unturned to make it a spectacular celebration of color, pomp and gaiety.
So on April 13, 2013, all roads in New England led to the Armenian Church in Worcester, MA. In one of the heaviest turnouts in recent years, people thronged the venue dressed in their colorful Mekhela-sadors and elegant dhoti-punjabis. The place was brimming with enthusiasm.
After savoring home made pithas and ladus, people were ready for some song and dance. The evening started with a collective singing of "Srimoyee Axomi" and the 2013 edition of Rongali Bihu was declared open by Shri Himendra Borthakur. It was followed by a sweet rendition of Jyotiprasad Agarwala's "Seuji Seuji" which set the tone for one delightful performance after another. The kids performed Bihu dances, solo keyboard and saxophone recitals, danced to the tunes of songs from evergreen Assamese movies like "Dr. Bezbaruah" and "Aranya" and Bollywood movies. The performances were a treat to watch and touched one's heart. The bouquet of performances put together by the adults was gorgeous and colorful too - there were a number of Bihu dances, a medley of Bihu songs and some popular numbers, own compositions, violin and guitar recitals, a skit and a number of other programs that brought the audience to its feet. The cultural event culminated with a Bihu Husori and Mukoli Bihu where everyone danced their hearts out. Tributes were paid to the icons of the Assamese cultural scene whom we lost in the past one year.
The evening ended with a grand buffet dinner as people chatted in groups, indulged in photo opportunities and exchanged pleasantries, strengthening the bond that binds the growing New England Assamese community together. As people thanked the current team for a great job organizing these events, a new leadership team was formed to guide us to many more fun get-togethers.