Minoti Khaund: The evergreen violinist of 70's musical world of Assam, she is undoubtedly one of the most popular violinist today and can equally be placed among the best. With her disarming smile and charming manner, the bespectacled Minoti Khaund exudes a comfortable air: music, she says takes her closet to divinity and accords her peace and tranquility. It is an invigorating experience which exalts her spirits.
Born in a well to do Phukan paribar of Jorhat. Her father Manik Chandra Phukan and mother Nalini Debi. She was raised in a culturally rich atmosphere. Her maternal grandfather: Bisheswar Sharma, well-known Tea planter and a culturally gharana of Jorhat. Being a connoisseur of the fine arts himself encouraged Minoti and bought her a violin. So, she started to play at a tender age of 10.
Minoti had her early training in violin from Shri Indreswar Sarma of Jorhat, in the music school of late Darpanath Sarma. She performed in several concerts and festivals and the turning point in her life came when she was performing at the All Assam Music Conference in 1972 and violin maestro Pt. V.G.Jog heard her on stage and offered to impart his art to Minoti. Her husband Kabindra Ram Khaund and the daughter in law of Deputy Commissioner Rabindra Ram Khaund a traditional family of Assam supported her and started her apprenticeship under Pt .Jog. Thereafter started the traditional Gururshisya Parampara between Minoti and Padmavibhusahan Pt Jog.
The Rising Talent Conference at Kalamandir Calcutta in 1978 introduced Minoti as a talented artiste. There has been no looking back since then. The Amir Khan Music Conference at Rabindra Sadan Calcutta, Benaras, Burdwan, Cuttack, Bhubaneshwar, Tatanagar, Rabindra Natya Mandir mumbai, India International Center Delhi, Mehta Memorial Hall Allahabad, IIT Festival, Shankardev Kalakshetra Guwahati, National Gallery of Modern Art Mumbai, India Habitat Centre Delhi, Women's International Forum Goa, Madhusudhan Manch Kolkatta etc were the platforms that Minoti performed in and enthralled the audience and press alike. She became the foremost violinist of Assam. She was conferred the title of Sangeet Jyoti.
Minoti started her parallel studies in the field of music and attained Sangeet Nipune from Prayag Sangeet Samitti, Allahabad, in 1986, bagging a gold medal for her Sangeet Visharad. During this period she also got associated with vocalist Pt. A.T, Kanan of the Sangeet Research Academy, Kolkatta and imbibed the "gayaki ang" in her style. She also underwent music studies in the field of raga improvisations and rhythmic patterns of "tala" from sarod maestro and musicologist Pt. Buddhadev Dasgupta.
Sunita Bhuyan is a violinist of the Hindustani style and has carved a niche for herself as an upcoming musician of India. Recepient of the Indira Gandhi Priyadarshini award for Music. She was initiated into musicat a tender age by her mother Minoti Khaund. The mother daughter duo of Minoti and Sunita have performed duets all over the country and abroad, regaling the audience and the press alike with their "jugalbandi". What makes her great is: selection of her tune, her style of presentation and she stried to give a semi-classical touch which has a blend of folk western classical.
Sunita has attained a master's degree in Hindustani Music from Prayag Sangeet Samitte, with a distinction and has also studied advanced music under the apprenticeship of violin maestro Padmabibhushan Late Pt V.G. Jog.
Minoti Khaund, the award winning violin master whose musical career spanning 50 years. She has been awarded the prestigious Silpi Bata this year by Govt. of Assam.
A violin recital by Minoti Khaund and her daughter Sunita Bhuyan are on an exclusive UK tour at the prestigious Nehru Centre (the Cultural wing of Indian High Commission) on 26th June and other British cities: Manchester: Kalapremi mandal, Birmingham and Nottingham organized by Rini Kakati, NRI Co-ordinator for UK.
Also the Glasgow concert is organized by Mrs. Anima Sharma, an active member of Lancashire Hindu Association.
Police in Sivasagar district have arrested a gang of dacoits a few hours after they looted money, ornaments and mobile phones at a New Delhi bound train on Friday night. The incident took place in the wee hours on Saturday when a gang of 6 member dacoits managed to board on the Dibruhgarh-New Delhi Brahmaputra Mail and looted money looted money, mobile phones from a section of passengers at a compartment and fled away in Sonari. Police latter arrested the entire gang in between Bhojo and Longpotia. Investigation is on.
A two-day national seminar titled “Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities: Responses to Climate Change”, was organised by St. Joseph’s College, Jakhama (Nagaland). The governor of Nagaland Nikhil Kumar, gracedthe occasion as the chief guest. The inaugural session was chaired by the convenor of the event, Fr. Abraham Lotha. Welcoming the chief guest, the college principal, Fr. Isaac Padinjarekuttu, said that the seminar is part of the college’s silver jubilee celebration. The governor mentioned that the topic was of importance and termed it the order of the day. Mr. Probir Bose, of The Climate Change Project, delivered the keynote address. He...
The city buses plying in Guwahati may soon face action. Transport department sources told assamtimes that these buses hiked the fares from July 1 citing fuel price but the new fares have not recived any approval from the government. Notably, the city buses in Guwahati hiked fares by 40 per cent from Thursday following fuel price hike.
Amid the much-hyped bid to ensure talk between Ulfa and government, a tea garden manager was injured when group of Ulfa activists let loose a reign of terror in upper Assam on Thursday. The incident took place at Luit Estate in Tinsukia district when a gang of armed youths severally assaulted tea garden manager SK Tamuli along with his employee near the garden. They further set on fire a minibus and two bykes on the spot. The gang of the armed youths unlesh panic by blankfiring before disappearing from the spot. Later the duo were taken to a nearest hospital. Sources told assamtimes that the owner of the tea estate recived an extortion notice a few months back.
(Wikipedia photo)
Noted critic and prominent citizen Dr Hiren Gohain has sent a letter to chief minister Tarun Gogoi on the progress in terms of holding talks with Ulfa. According to reliable sources, Dr Gohain,who recently led a delegation of Sanmilita Jatiya Abhibartan to Delhi, in his letter to Gogoi on June 28 has asked the chief minister to let him know the progress made so far to hold talk with Ulfa. It may be noted that the government is clearing the decks to appoint former intelligent bureau chief PC Halder as its interlocutor in the process. Halder called on Dr Gohain when the latter was visiting Delhi to meet PM,Chidambaram along with several other top political leaders.
A tough time awaits the Tarun Gogoi government as the Assam Assembly is set to hold its moonson session from July 12. The brief session is expected to be a stormy one in view of the CBI probe into the multi crore scam in Dima Hasao district. Another issue which may rock the House is the multi-crore LoC scam a few weeks after Dispur urged the CBI to reopen the case. The government is set to present on the floor of the House a white paper on its performance. Meanwhile, the opposition Asom Gana Parishad and BJP are preparing a set of strategies to corner the government.
Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi says it is for the court to decide on the release of the jailed Ulfa leaders. Talking to reporters on Thursday in Guwahati Gogoi said his government can only facilitate talk among the the jailed ULFA leaders.
Assam on Thursday paid its last respect to the body of six brave hearts two days after they lost their lives at the hands of Naxals in Chhattisgarh. Led by Assam director general of police Shankar Baruah, top ranked police and civil officials gathered at the Lok Priya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport in Borjhar and paid their last respect to the bodies after these were flown to the home state.
The overall flood situation remains unchanged in Assam as the mighty Brahmaputra and its tributaries are flowing above danger level in several places of the state. The surging waters of Beki ane Pagoladiya have submerged a vast area in lower Assam rendering thousands of people homeless besides damaging crops in several places. Meanwhile, floodwaters are refusing to recede in Lakhimpur and Dhemaji districts where over 200 villages are under flash flood.
Altogether 6 CRPF jawans died when the Naxals ambushed a patrolling party in Chhattisgarh on Tuesday. The incident took place at Narayanpur at around 3 in the afternoon. The bodies are being airlifted to the home state. They include Rajendra Das from Betbari in Sivasagar, Anjan Phukan from Jorhat, Dhruba Thakuria from Dadara in the outskirt of Guwahati along with Suhil Rana from Barpeta. Moreover, several other jawans hailing from Assam have been injured in the deadliest attack. Other CRPF jawans from Assam killed in the incident are KI Sinha and Arjun Gayari.
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