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.
The northeastern region is running with a deplorable state of affairs if the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER), 2007, is any indication. Making this startling revelation, the report says enrollment in Assam was found at more than 90 per cent and the attendance in schools was only at 70 per cent. The out-of-school students in Assam were found about 6.9 per cent and about 66 per cent schools did not have toilets and 40 per cent did not have access to potable water, the report added. The out-of-school figure in the age group of 6-14 years in Tripura was higher than the national average while in Meghalaya it was almost double the national average, says the report. According to the ASER...
The army killed two more terrorists at an encounter near Namsai along Assam-Arunachal border early in the morning on Tuesday. According to information, the encounter with the Army's Dah Division took place at a distance of 10 kilometers in the north of Namsai and the rebels have yet to be identified. A pistol, a revolver and 10 kgs of IED have been recovered from them. Details are awaited.
The over all flood situation in the north Assam district of Lakhimpur is remaining unchanged and army jawans are still in the rescue operation and more and more marooned peoples are shifting to safer places. A vast tracts of human habitation and farmland have been submerged and over ten-lakh people have been affected by the flood where the unofficial death toll is said to be 19. Five people were reportedly washed away by the river Ranganadi and their bodies are yet to be found. Boats and rafts were deployed by the army to transport people sheltering on roof tops to relief camps set up in highlands, schools and colleges. Flash floods in catchment areas of neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh...
People crossing the river with the help of a boat in the flood affected Lakhimpur on 16-06-08 as the first wave of floods hit Lakhimpur on 14th June 2008 with breaches occurring in the embankments and overtopping of cofferdam of Ranganadi, Singara and Kakoi rivers following heavy downpour in their catchments in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam. The situation is still critical in the area. Pix by UB Photos.
The ministry of external affairs has open its North east branch liason office in th city on Sunday. Inaugurating the office, external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee said the new branch secretariat would go a long way in fulfilling the aspirations of the people of the NE region in having better liason with the External Affairs Ministry on issues concerning foreign trade, foreign direct investment and cultural exchanges.The minister urged the north eastern states to take advantage of the new branch secretariat to move forward with Look East policy and greater coordination and planning by the North Eastern Council (NEC).Mr Mukherjee stressed the need to improve connectivity saying economic...
5 years old Swimmer from Sivasaga, Shivangi Sharma showing the Victory sign after completing her feat of crossing the river Ganga (from both banks) in Varanasi on 10-06-08. Pix by UB Photos.
The Centre is drawing up a massive plan to boost trans border trade in the North East with the neighbouring countries.Addressing the reporters on Sunday, DoNER minister mani Shankar Aiyer said Prime Minister Dr Manmohan will unveil an ambitious programme to expedite the pace of socio-economic development of the north eastern region. He said named as Vision 2020, the programme will help the region boost its relationship with the neighbouring China, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal."The Centre is giving thrust in North East India's trade relations with its neighbouring countries," he said adding that the development of Indian economy with the new initiatives dressed for improving...
Altogether four hardcore ULFA militants were killed at a fierce fighting with army at Kanubari along the Assam-Nagaland border in Sivasagar district. According to information, acting on a tip off, army conducted a raid at the area where a few ULFA cadres were basing for the last couple of days. The deceased ULFA cadres have yet to be identified. Details are awaited.
The Assam Government’s claim over Langpih gets more teeth as the Gauhati High Court has asked the Meghalaya government to a compensate an amount of Rs 1 lakh each to three residents of the area after being arrested by the Meghalaya Police charging them with illegally residing on Meghalaya territory.According to information, the High Court passed the order on Friday while it was hearing the petitions of the victims namely Ram Bahadur Chetri, Dipendra Limbu and Tara Bahadur Gurung who were arrested in 2004 by by the Nongstone Police station. Later on February 14, 2005 they were released.The trio knocked at the doors of the Gauhati High Court and after a few rounds of hearing, a division...
The flood situation in the north Assam district remains unchanged for second day. More and more areas have come under the surging waters of the Ronganadi, Singarajan, Dikrong after these rivers breached embankments in seven places.According to information, more than 1000 villages in North Lakhimpur district along with parts ofg Dhemaji have been submerged by the floodwaters.All sorts of surface communication in Bihpuria, Naoboisa, Dhakuwakhana and the adjoining areas have been remaining cut off from Saturday morning these rivers breached embankments in several places including Kakoi affecting a huge 10 lakh populace.This has forced affected people, who have been rendered homeless, to take...
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