Delhi-NCR soaks in Bihu festivities

Bihu functions are the flavour in the Delhi-NCR area which has hosted several such events in the past 10 days or so to celebrate the Rongali Bihu festival that heralds the Assamese new year and the onset of spring.

If it was Gurgaon on April 14, the IGNCA grounds hosted a Bihu function the next day. Similar functions were held at Noida and Faridabad yesterday and one at Dwarka here today.

The highlights of these functions were husoris (group dances that are an integral part of the Bihu celebrations), Bihu songs and dhol (drum) performances. Also popular artistes from Assam like Zublee Baruah, Mousam Gogoi, Nirmali Das and Neel Akash gave spirited performances belting out Bihu and other numbers.

The Bihu at Gurgaon was a tribute to Assamese actor Biju Phukan and filmmaker Abdul Majid who passed away last year.

At the Delhi Bihu function, there was a dance performance on popular songs from Phukan's films.

"Assam Association Gurgaon (AAG) has been celebrating Rongali Bihu in Gurgaon since its inception in 2007. During its early years, it was an effort of few very highly motivated individuals to bring together the people who hail from Assam and live in Gurgaon to celebrate Bihu," says AAG general secretary Prabhakar Dutta.

"However, AAG grew in leaps and bounds in the subsequent years and today it has earned the reputation as an organisation to celebrate one of the most organised and colourful Bihu events in the entire NCR region," Dutta adds.

"Such functions provide an opportunity for Assamese people living in the national capital and the satellite towns to meet and enjoy the evening," says Assam Association Delhi general secretary Dipak Saikia.

The event at Noida was organised by the Assam People's Welfare Association, Trans Yamuna Delhi-NCR, and that in Faridabad by the Assam Association Faridabad.