Skip to content Skip to navigation

Rongali Bihu celebration in Raleigh, North Carolina – April 30, 2011

By AT News |

The Assamese community in Research Triangle Area of North Carolina USA (Raleigh-Durham-Cary-Morrisville) celebrated Rongali Bihu in Morrisville on April 30, 2011 in a familial atmosphere reminiscent of the bihu celebrations of the past in Assam. With spring birds filling the morning skies with their welcoming songs after a long winter, frolicking between the lush and verdant new leaves on trees all around, and colorful flowers providing welcoming playground to “bhomoras” and humming birds alike – this typical North Carolina spring day was a perfect backdrop for a Rongali Bihu celebration.



It was a day of coming together for this small community to celebrate “atikoi moromor bohagar bihuti” to connect their past heritage to the present - to celebrate the bond of kinship through the re-living of the traditions that live on in every Assamese heart.



Nasoni takuri ghura di ghure! Audience dancing to Bihu song Bihurenu Birina sung by the group in the background.



Surrounded by colorful gamochas, jaapis and Xarais beautifully arranged by Namrata Chetia Borah and her team to create an authentic Assamese décor, the day began with a cultural program in which everyone joined in with great enthusiasm. The program started with an introduction by Pulakesh Barua and Rathin Dev Choudhury followed immediately by the sonorous and soulful sound of a devotional song by Rathin and Meenakshi Dev Choudhury, professionally and reverently rendered with the accompaniment of harmonium by Rathin Dev Choudhury and Tabla by Dibyendu Goswami. It was followed by a children’s program, a very sweet rendition of Lakri ki Kathi, a hindi song by 8 year old Vansh Gogoi and a delightful dance by Ayana Chakrabory, Tanisha Gogoi, Eesha Barua, Rohini Sharma that brought smiles to everyone’s faces. Sudip Das’s rendition of ever popular Bhupen Hazarika favorites Bristirna Parore and Mur Gaan Houk enthralled the audience with uncanny similarities to the originals in vocal range and sound. The popular Axomia song Nahar Phoole Nuxuai was sung in a chorus with the accompaniment of keyboard (Pulakesh Barua), harmonium (Rathin Dev Choudhury) and Tabla ( Dibyendu Goswami). A beautifully choreographed dance to a popular Bollywood number was performed by Namrata Chetia Borah, Sriparna Chakraborty, Geetanjali Sharma, Sarika Gogoi and Shrabanti Barua. The highlight of the program was the bihu song “Bihurenu Birina” led by Rathin Dev Choudhury, Sudip Das, Deboo Gogoi and Pulakesh Barua and joined in by the audience in zestful singing and dancing to truly bring out the spirit of the event. Impromptu Hindi songs by Namrata and Sriparna afterwards drew encores from the audience before the cultural program came to a close.



Besides the musical program the event also provided ample opportunities to learn and recall important aspects of Assamese culture and heritage. Fun filled trivia questions presented by Devraj Borah throughout the program kept everyone engaged, including the children, who also enjoyed a variety of special games and competitions organized by Sudip Das.



Namrata Chetia Borah, Sriparna Chakraborty, Geetanjali Sharma, Sarika Gogoi and Shrabanti Barua dancing to the tune of a Bollywood song.



The day’s program came to an enjoyable closure with a delicious lunch that included mouth-watering delicacies cooked and catered by Babi Das and beautifully presented with lots of support from the volunteers. The menu included many authentic Assamese traditional dishes, such as doi, chiraa, boda sawol, mithai, kolor pitha, machor tenga, hahor (duck) mangsor aanja, matidalir tenga,kharor torkari, xukan machor chutney, and kathal sabji.


Chiranjit Deka
Communication Secy, Raleigh Bihu Committee NC



Photographs by: Prasenjit Khanikar

Comments

hunnn...'s picture

Submitted by hunnn... on Wed, 04/07/2012 - 14:52
past and present ....and still time to come.....

Pages

Add new comment

Other Contents by Author

1875, Not 1933: Mizoram Reasserts Border Claim

Mizoram has reaffirmed its stand on the 1875 notification as the only legitimate boundary with Assam, rejecting the 1933 Survey of India map cited by Assam. Home Minister K. Sapdanga told the Assembly that the colonial-era demarcation, drawn after consultation with local chiefs, remains binding. Talks between the two states have stretched across decades, with the last round held in Guwahati in April. The next meeting is to take place in Aizawl, though no date has been fixed. Mizoram has set up a study team to compile archival records to back its claim. On the ground, tensions persist. In mid-August, Mizoram villagers accused Assam officials of damaging nearly 300 rubber plants in...

Assam, Arunachal Officials Meet to Strengthen Border Management

In a bid to ease tensions along the Assam–Arunachal boundary, senior officials from both states held a joint meeting at Narayanpur in Assam’s Lakhimpur district on Thursday, adopting a series of measures to improve coordination and maintain peace. The meeting was attended by officials from Assam’s Lakhimpur and Biswanath districts and Arunachal’s Papum Pare district. Both sides agreed to stop all new construction and encroachment until the final demarcation of the interstate boundary is completed. To ensure smoother communication, the states will appoint nodal officers as official points of contact, while a dedicated WhatsApp group will be created to allow quick information-sharing among...

Assam Among Bottom Five States in Health, Education and Economy

Assam has been ranked among the bottom five states of the country in crucial development indicators including health, education and economic growth, according to a fresh NITI Aayog assessment. The report placed Assam 26th in health and well-being, 25th in education, and 23rd in economic development. On gender equality and zero hunger, the state was positioned at 25th and 22nd respectively. The poor performance has raised concern over the state’s planning and budgetary priorities, despite official claims of inclusive growth. Experts have pointed out that school enrolment, institutional health services and poverty reduction continue to remain below the national average. NITI Aayog’s...

Rotary Club of Guwahati and NERAMAC Distribute Saplings, Launch Tree Plantation Drive

Guwahati, August 23: The Rotary Club of Guwahati, in collaboration with the North Eastern Regional Agricultural Marketing Corporation Ltd. (NERAMAC), organized a major plantation and sapling distribution initiative this week. On Tuesday, August 21, a total of 3,000 medicinal and fruit-bearing saplings were distributed among local villagers of Bijoynagar and adjoining areas at the premises of 28 Nahira Primary School and Kongdang Primary School. The program witnessed enthusiastic participation from villagers, teachers, Rotarians, and NERAMAC officials. Continuing the green initiative, a tree plantation drive was also conducted on Friday, August 22, at the NERAMAC office premises...

PEC Condemns Misuse of PRESS Emblem and Ongoing Journalist Killings

The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC), a global media safety and rights organization, has strongly condemned the misuse of the “PRESS” symbol by armed combatants in conflict zones such as Syria and Gaza. The PEC expressed deep concern over incidents where individuals posing as journalists have used the emblem as a shield for violent activities. In southern Syria, Islamist fighters were seen wearing jackets marked “PRESS” while vandalizing a Druze household in Suwayda, as shown in a widely circulated video on social media. While PEC cannot independently verify the authenticity of the video, it emphasizes that under no circumstances should the press emblem be used as cover for armed combatants...

Dramatic rise in the number of journalists killed in six months

The number of journalists killed worldwide has surged dramatically in the first half of 2025, according to the Press Emblem Campaign (PEC). Since January, 86 media workers have been killed across 26 countries, marking a 16% increase compared to the same period last year. Gaza: Epicenter of the Crisis The ongoing conflict in Gaza is the primary driver behind this spike. At least 31 Palestinian journalists were killed in six months by the Israeli army, accounting for more than a third of the global toll. “The Israeli government is directly responsible for this tragedy, which targets civilians reporting on the situation in Gaza. The Israeli soldiers involved in these war crimes must...

Capacity-Building Workshop Empowers Assam and Meghalaya Communities for Sustainable Development

Guwahati: – A transformative capacity-building workshop, “Learning from the Land: Participatory Knowledge Harvest from Assam and Meghalaya,” was held at Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Guwahati Off-Campus, on Friday, June 27, 2025. Organized by TISS in collaboration with UNDP-SGP, the event brought together over 50 NGOs from Assam and Meghalaya to exchange grassroots knowledge and strategies for sustainable land use, agroecological practices, and environmental conservation. The workshop aimed to empower local communities by enhancing skills in biodiversity conservation, land restoration, rural development, sustainability, and climate change adaptation. Prof. Jagannath Ambagudia...

Assam's Tea Workers’ Health Crisis, with Average Body Weight Below 50 kg

Guwahati: The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) has accused the BJP-led state government under Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma of driving tea garden workers into a severe health crisis, with the average worker’s body weight dropping below 50 kg due to malnutrition and anemia. In a press conference on Wednesday at Rajiv Bhawan, APCC Working President Roselina Tirkey, joined by tea tribe leaders Raju Sahu, Etowa Munda, and Pranjal Ghatowar, condemned the government for neglecting workers’ welfare and plotting to dismantle Assam’s tea industry. Raju Sahu emphasized the alarming health decline, stating that malnutrition and anemia have rendered many tea workers unfit to donate blood...

Stolen Lands, Broken Lives: How Assam’s Khilonjiya Pay the Price for Corporate Development

In Assam, the land of the Brahmaputra, tea gardens, and vibrant indigenous cultures, a troubling pattern has emerged. The state’s push for development—solar plants, thermal power stations, cement factories, and urban restoration—has come at a devastating cost to its original inhabitants, the Khilonjiya. These indigenous communities, including Karbi, Bodo, Dimasa, and Adivasi, are being displaced from their ancestral lands to make way for wealthy industrialists and corporate giants like Adani. While rich outsiders are welcomed with open arms, the Khilonjiya bear the burden of uprooted lives, lost livelihoods, and erased heritage. This blog chronicles few recent land disputes, exposing the...

AAEA demands accountability for mishaps in 'abandoned' oil/gas wells

Guwahati: Expressing concern over the Sivasagar crude-oil well gas leakage in the last few days, a northeast India based forum of graduate engineers have urged both Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) and Oil India Limited (OIL) to come clear about the so-called ‘abandoned’ wells, which have the potential to harm human life, property and environment, as the concerned private parties operating such wells often do not come forward to take responsibility.  All Assam Engineers Association (AAEA), in a statement, also appealed to the Union government in New Delhi to hold the concerned ONGC/OIL  officials accountable for any disaster at an oil or gas well after having declared it '...