Skip to content Skip to navigation

Surojit Academy Celebrates World Puppetry and Mime Day

By AT News |

Surojit Academy, located on the Assam Engineering College campus, celebrated World Puppetry Day on March 21 and World Mime Day on the same occasion, though it is officially observed on March 22. This year’s theme for World Puppetry Day was “Robots, Artificial Intelligence, and the Dreams of Puppets.”

The event featured a speech by Binita Devi, recipient of the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar and director of Surojit Academy, on the role of artificial intelligence in puppetry. Abani Sharma, a leading puppeteer from Assam who has performed in India and Spain, was felicitated at the event. Dr. Kuldeep Patgiri, another Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar awardee, attended as a distinguished guest.

Puppet and Mime Performances

As part of the celebrations, two puppet plays were staged:

  • “Dui Bondhu” (Two Friends), directed by Dhruba Jyoti Kalita, using glove puppets.

  • “Prakriti Ki Sikh” (What Nature Teaches), directed by Pranab Jyoti Rabha, using rod puppets.

The puppetry performances featured Kristi Rajbongshi, Palak Koiri, Hardik Sarma, Kaustabh Choudhury, Angarag Mohanta, Anshuman Das, Trishna Kalita, Pranab Jyoti Rabha, Arya Jibran, Adrika Choudhury, and Karishmita Talukdar as puppeteers. Hardik Sarma directed the music, while Dhruba Jyoti Kalita and Ganesh Boro handled lighting.

A mime performance titled “The Siren Bell”, directed by Debprateem Goswami, was also staged, featuring Kristi Rajbongshi, Hardik Sarma, Anshuman Das, and Kaustabh Choudhury as performers.

Sattriya Dance Performance

In the evening, a Sattriya dance performance took place under the direction of Sattriya dance guru Holi Ram Bora Bayan. Dancers Lani Kakoti, Arya Jibran, Hritika Kalita, Manshree Das, and Baibhavi Das mesmerized the audience with their artistry.

A Cultural Gathering

The event saw participation from students, academicians, artists, and cultural enthusiasts from schools, colleges, and universities. Dhruva Jyoti Kalita and Deepa Mahanta hosted the event, while Karishmita Talukdar delivered the vote of thanks.

Through this celebration, Surojit Academy successfully highlighted the significance of World Puppetry Day and World Mime Day, bringing these traditional art forms to life for an engaged audience.

Author info

AT News's picture

Assam Times Staff. editor@assamtimes.org
  • 5044 reads

Add new comment

Other Contents by Author

International Women’s Day Observed by NEADS in Jorhat

North East Affected Area Development Society (NEADS), a grassroots development organisation based in Jorhat working with people’s struggles and community development initiatives, observed International Women’s Day at Chumoni Chapori village under the Jhanjimukh area in Jorhat district on Sunday, bringing together local women, community leaders and youth to celebrate the achievements and contributions of women in society. The programme was organized with the participation of women from riverine communities who shared their experiences, challenges and aspirations for greater social and economic empowerment. The event focused on raising awareness about women’s rights, gender equality and...

Assamese Poet Jiban Narah’s The Yellow Metaphor Published by Penguin

A significant milestone for literature from Northeast India has been marked with the publication of The Yellow Metaphor, a collection of poems by Assamese poet Jiban Narah, now released by Penguin Random House India. The book is a translated anthology of Narah’s poetry and is considered a rare achievement for the region. It is reportedly the first translated poetry collection by a single poet from Northeast India to be published by Penguin, and among only a handful of works in a regional Indian language to receive such recognition from the global publishing house. The Yellow Metaphor brings together 99 selected poems written over a span of 33 years, reflecting Narah’s long poetic...

Meeting Urges Tai-Ahoms to Record Taoism and Tai-Ahom as Mother Tongue in Census

Sivasagar, March 6: A meeting of organisations associated with the religious and intellectual affairs of the Tai-Ahom community was held on Thursday (March 5) at the public auditorium of Bakata Parijat Panchayat in Sivasagar district. The meeting was chaired by Jibeshwar Mohan Deva, founding principal of Tingkhang College. Several prominent personalities attended the meeting, including Manaranjan Baruah, president of the Mohan-Deodhai-Bailung Sanmilan; Vidya Phukan, president of the Mohan-Deodhai-Bailung Pandit Parishad; former president of Phra-Lung-Moung Assam Golap Gohain; secretary Pranjal Mohan; noted Tai cultural researcher Kamal Jyoti Mohan; Tai-Ahom scholar Nripen Mohan;...

Assam’s Move for OIL Stake Sparks Debate

Guwahati, Feb 28: The Assam government’s decision to seek a 5 per cent stake in Oil India Limited (OIL) has triggered discussion on the State’s long-term approach to the oil and gas sector in the Northeast. The proposal, under which Assam has sought a minority share in OIL — where the Government of India holds 56 per cent — will be examined by the Centre, Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated that the State is extending full cooperation to oil sector companies and urged that shares be allocated to Assam to support smoother functioning and stronger coordination. Reacting to the development, Shantikam Hazarika — former Chairman of...

Citizen Flags Data, Nutrition Gaps in HPV Vaccination Drive

New Delhi, March 1: Concerns have been raised over the national HPV vaccination campaign launched on February 28, 2026, with a citizen questioning its scientific basis, operational preparedness, and public health prioritisation. In a public statement, Donthi N. Reddy said that not a single state has published baseline data on cervical cancer incidence or HPV prevalence prior to the rollout. Without such baseline indicators, he argued, outcomes cannot be measured, and without measurable outcomes, the reported annual expenditure of ₹1,300 crore cannot be properly evaluated. The campaign involves administration of the HPV vaccine Gardasil-4 to 14-year-old girls across the country, aiming...

NEADS Assam Participates in the 13th Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development at UNESCAP

North-East Affected Area Development Society (NEADS), a grassroots civil society organisation based in Jorhat, Assam, participated in the 13th Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD), convened by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) from 24–27 February, 2026, at the United Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok. Tirtha Prasad Saikia, Director of NEADS, represented the organisation at the Forum. He also participated in his capacity as the Constituency Focal Point for People Affected by Conflicts and Disasters and as a Regional Coordinating Committee Member of the Asia Pacific Regional CSO Engagement Mechanism (APRCEM). During...

APCC Files ‘Chargesheet 2026’ Against BJP-Led Assam Government in ‘People’s Court’

The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) on Wednesday submitted a detailed “Chargesheet 2026” against the BJP-led Assam government, symbolically placing it before what it termed the “People’s Court of Assam.” The chargesheet targets the government headed by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, covering the period from May 10, 2021 to February 18, 2026. In a press briefing in Guwahati, APCC leaders alleged large-scale corruption, economic mismanagement, constitutional violations, and failure to protect the rights of indigenous communities. The document lists 20 major charges, including the alleged operation of a “syndicate raj,” accumulation of illegal wealth, rising public debt, and...

33 Dead in Meghalaya Illegal Mine Blast; Judicial Commission Formed

Shillong, February 16, 2026: The death toll in the devastating explosion at an illegal coal mine in East Jaintia Hills has risen to 33, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma confirmed on Monday during a suo-motu statement in the State Assembly. The tragedy occurred on the morning of February 5 in the remote Mynsngat-Thangsko area, where an illegal “rat-hole” coal mine reportedly exploded, allegedly due to the unauthorized use of explosives inside narrow underground tunnels. The incident has triggered widespread outrage and prompted the state government to constitute a high-level Judicial Commission of Inquiry.   Initial rescue operations carried out by the NDRF, SDRF and...

SIT “Flop Show” Explodes: Gogoi Takes On Himanta, Puts 2026 in Play

Assam Pradesh Congress Committee president and MP Gaurav Gogoi on Sunday launched a sharp counter-offensive against Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, calling the much-hyped SIT report a “super flop” and accusing the CM of staging six months of political drama to divert attention from land and corruption allegations. Addressing a packed press conference at Rajiv Bhawan, Gogoi said the Chief Minister had kept the SIT report for six months, only to unveil it through a “manufactured spectacle” involving national media, which ultimately failed to produce a single piece of evidence against him. “He swung a mace in the air, but there was nothing in his hands,” Gogoi said. Flanked by MPs...

Nazira Dairy Project Collapses Amid Allegations of Mismanagement, Livelihoods Hit

A multi-crore dairy project at Sanbasa in Nazira has collapsed amid serious allegations of financial irregularities and internal mismanagement, dealing a severe blow to rural livelihoods in the area. The Sundarpukhuri Dairy Cooperative Society, formed by local farmers under the initiative of Dr. Jagadish Barman, once served as a crucial source of income for over 245 Below Poverty Line (BPL) families. The cooperative reportedly contributed nearly ₹1 crore annually to the local rural economy. As part of its expansion, the cooperative launched its own marketing network under the brand name “Kareng” and set up a milk pasteurization plant at Sanbasa village. However, internal disputes...