Courtesy : The Asam Tribune SHAMBHU BORO

POKAMURA PATHAR (Jamugurihat), Feb 18 - Brisk preparation are afoot for the four-day long historic Baresaharia Bhaona at Pokamura Pathar in Jamugurihat area here from March 1 to March 4.This time around, a total of 21 kholas are being readied for the performance of bhaona by the bhaona troupes from different villages of the area. Besides making the gombuj (the main altar) where the singhasan will be placed, people from different villages are busy in preparing the kholas using locally abundant bamboo, thatch, cane etc.

As per the programme schedule, the four-day long programme will start with the procession to the venue taking the singhasan from Khandoisuk village at 9:30 am on March 1. At 11:30 am, the venue for the bhaona will be inaugurated by the president of the Baresaharia Bhaona, Padma Hazarika. It will be followed by tribute to the founders of the historic Baresaharia Bhaona at 2 pm. DC, Sonitpur, Manoj Kumar Deka and DC, Biswanath Chariali Dhrubajyoti Kalita will jointly open the special exhibition of the four-day long programme at 3 pm. In the evening, naam prasanga will be held in the 21 kholas at the venue of the event.

On March 2, at 5 am, the morning prayer (pratah prasanga) will be held which will be followed by the welcome meet at 11 am wherein Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Governor of Assam Jagdish Mukhi will be specially felicitated. The souvenir release and religious talk to be held at 1 pm will be inaugurated by Prof Upen Rabha Hakasam, Department of Assamese, Gauhati University. At 3 pm former VC, Gauhati University, Prof Amarjyoti Chowdhury will unveil the statue of music legend Dr Bhupen Hazarika, which will be followed by unveiling of statue of Sonitkonwor Gajen Baruah by Sangeet Natak Akademi Award winner, Jatin Goswami. The reconstructed martyrs’ tomb of the Assam Agitation martyrs will be inaugurated by AASU Chief Adviser, Dr Samujjal Bhattacharya and this event will be attended by the State Health and Finance Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sharma, Minister for Cultural Affairs, Government of Assam Naba Kumar Doley and Press Advisor to the Chief Minister, Government of Assam, Hrishikesh Goswami. In the evening, bhaona performances will be held.

On March 3, the common naam prasanga by women to begin at 1 pm will be inaugurated by Batadraba MLA Angurlata Deka and it’s inaugural session will be chaired by the Director, National Book Trust, Dr Rita Chowdhury and the Additional Chief Secretary Government of Assam, MGVK Bhanu. In the evening, the main event Baresaharia Bhaona will be inaugurated by former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi. This will be attended by State ministers Pallab Lochan Das and Chandra Mohan Patowary, president of the Asom Chatra Mahasabha, Jitendra Nath Prodhani, president of the Srimanta Sankardev Namdharma Samaj, Bhupen Dadhora, president of the Asom Anchalik Nainab Mahasabha Rameswar Bora and Kamala Pathak of the Eksaran Bhaswati Samaj, Asom.

On the concluding day that is on March 4, from 4 pm onwards, felicitation to the noted artists of the Baresaharia Bhaona and prize distribution will be held and it will be followed by the cultural night programme to be opened by the president of Sangeet Natak Akademi, Sekhar Sen.The organizers have urged all sections of the society to extend their helping hand to make the programme a grand success.