Nagaon Friendship Day

SOCIETY FOR SRIMANTA SANKARADEVA will celebrate Nagaon Friendship Day on January 5, 2014 in Nagaon. The Nagaon Friendship Day is an event to honor a few individuals who have been contributing to Assamese society specially in the realm of Sankari culture as well as to highlight Nagaon globally. It was Bardowa in Nagaon where Srimanta Sankaradeva spent first half of his eventful life. The culture bequeathed by him is still vibrant in Nagaon region. These individuals selected for felicitation, with their creativity, skill and dedication to the craft, are keeping the great Sankari culture alive. But they are more or less unknown to the public. The Nagaon Friendship Day is an effort to pay tribute to these dedicated individuals. We also hope that the event will stimulate interest among the younger generation, inspire and promote youth involvement in promoting our culture.

On the Nagaon Friendship Day a Friendship Walk will be organized from Dawson School Field near Aditi Hall to Shahid Bhavan along the National Highway in Nagaon town. It will start at 9.30 am. The Friendship Walk will display different facets of Sankari culture like Gayan-Bayan, Naam-Kirtan, Bhaona, Mask, Diha-Naam etc. Several Sattradhikars, leading citizens of Nagaon and nearby areas will take part in the Walk. It is expected to highlight the rich culture across the world through different websites and non-resident Assamese. We would welcome all channels and websites to make live telecast of the Nagaon Friendship Day. Several social organizations like Asom Sattra Mahasabha, Srimanta Sankaradeva Sangha, Batadrava Than, Srimanta Sankaradeva Junior College, Sutradhaar, Kalang Kala Kendra, Ramanujan Junior College, Kishalay etc have committed to take part in the Walk. Ankur Bora (USA) has played a major role in making it happen.

The participants of the Walk will take a pledge. The pledge is : I take a vow to do my best to uphold and spread the legacy bequeathed by Srimanta Sankaradeva. I will tell my non-Assamese friends about the life and works of Srimanta Sankaradeva. I will see at least one Bhaona every year. I will read at least two books about life and works of Srimanta Sankaradeva in the current year.

The Felicitation meeting will be held at 10.30 am in Shahid Bhavan, Nagaon after the Friendship Walk. The artisans who have kept the tradition of mask making, Guru Asan making, Kuhila product making, traditional ink making, traditional fireworks etc alive through their never-say-die spirit will be felicitated in the meeting. These artisans have been selected very carefully. Some of them are financially uncomfortable. Even then they have kept our indigenous art form alive. Our organization SOCIETY FOR SRIMANTA SANKARADEVA is trying to give them some moral support and whenever possible, a little economic help. Several Non-resident Assamese living abroad have offered financial assistance of Rs 5,000 to each of these artisans. These kind sponsors are :

1.       Wahid Saleh, Lansingerland, Netherland

2.       Krishanu Kaushik, Detroit, USA

3.       Dr Sanjib Bhuyan, New Jersey, USA

4.       Dr Binoy Kr Bordoloi, New Jersey, USA

5.       Dr Nripen Barua, New Jersey, USA

6.       Dr Arvind Phukan, Washington, USA

7.       Debojit Bora, California, USA

8.       Ankur Bora, Dallas, USA

9.       Rini Kakati, London, UK

10.   Debojit D. Chowdhury, California, USA

11.   Dr Sapna Bora, California, USA

The Felicitation meeting at Shahid Bhavan will have Bargeet recital by Bismita Bora and Sattriya Nritya recital by Meenakshi Medhi, Lakhimi Mahanta and Misimi Mahanta. Sri Debananda Deva Goswami (Sattradhikar of Narowa Sattra and President of Batadrava Than), Shantikam Hazarika (Guwahati), Rini Kakati (UK), Gautam Prasad Barooah (Kolkata), Sri Jibeswar Deva Goswami (Secretary of Asom Sattra Mahasabha), Dr Binoy Kumar Bordoloi (USA), Dr Pradip Sarmah (New Delhi) and Ankur Bora (USA) have been invited to this meeting. There will be a sales counter for some Sanchipat art, 'Mukha' and the Society’s publications. The meeting as well as the event will end at around 12.30 pm.

This is actually a long-term project of SOCIETY FOR SRIMANTA SANKARADEVA. The first phase was carried out in Jorhat a few months ago, on May 5, 2013. The Jorhat event details can be seen in our website at https://sankaradeva.com/event/7. The photos of the artists/artisans who were felicitated in Jorhat are available at https://sankaradeva.com/photo/useralbum/sanjib/95. One artist whom we brought to limelight through the Jorhat event has even received Sangeet Natak Akademy Award after our event. He is Jogen Dutta Bayan. Sutradhari Nritya performed by him in our event can be seen at https://sankaradeva.com/video/view/73. The third phase of felicitation may be carried out in the later part of 2014. We have also organised a workshop to train young kids in such art. One such workshop can be seen at https://sankaradeva.com/event/8.

The Felicitation list for Nagaon Friendship Day, January 5, 2014 is given below.

1.       Sri Dharmakanta Mahanta, Raidangia, Nagaon (Guru Asan construction) Age 80 years

2.       Sri Thuleswar Barua, Bardowa, Nagaon (Kuhila product making) Age 82 years

3.       Sri Shishuram Barua, Bardowa, Nagaon (Kuhila product making) Age 69 years

4.       Sri Madhav Das, Nagaon (Khol making) Age 60 years

5.       Sri Rakhal Das, Nagaon (Khol making) Age 53 years

6.       Sri Nityananda Goswami, Kuji Sattra, Marigaon (Kuhila product making, Khol making, Fireworks preparation) Age 50 years

7.       Sri Kaliram Bora, Bheleuguri, Nagaon (Kali playing) Age 66 years

8.       Sri Jadab Chandra Mahanta, Titabor (Sanchipat preparation, Mask making, Ink making, Costume making), Age 57 years

9.       Sri Bishnuram Handique, Jorhat (Sanchipat preparation, Ink making) Age 83 years

10.   Sri Girish Chandra Mahanta, Charing, Sivasagar (Mask making) Age 47 years

11.   Sri Devakanta Hazarika, Puranigudam, Nagaon (Mask making) Age 37 years

We appeal to everyone to join and make this event a success.

Regards

Dr Sanjib Kumar Borkakoti

President, SOCIETY FOR SRIMANTA SANKARADEVA