A CORRESPONDENT
PATHSALA: The preparation for the 77th biennial session of the Axam Xahitya Xabha (ASS), the biggest literary organization of Assam, is going on in full swing and 60 percent of the work has been completed in Pathsala. Pathsala town, which is known as a cultural and education hub of Assam, is situated in the Bajali district.
The main stage with book fair premises, trade fair, exhibition, and Naamghar has been prepared as only 8 days are left for the session to start from January 31 to February 4. The committee members have made arrangements for the guests and more than 5 lakh representatives from across the state.
On Saraswati Puja, after performing puja, the students from various institutions of the district also participate in Xahitya Xabha by wearing traditional attire on February 3.
The celebration committee is all set to welcome people and has arranged for Assamese traditional items like laru, pitha for morning tea and puri-sabzi for breakfast and vegetarian items for lunch. The committee is ready to receive 1 lakh to 20 lakh people during the five-day session.
In this year’s session, a science fair will be organized in Bajali hat. The science fair will attempt to establish links between science and literature. There will also be a cultural programme which will showcase the traditions and cultures of different tribes of Assam and Northeast.
A huge japi,, which is one of the symbols of Assamese culture, is under construction at the site. This huge Japi will welcome literature lovers from Assam and different parts of the country. The japi, which is made of 1,500 ‘Tokou’ leaves brought from Arunachal Pradesh, will be one of the highlights of the session.
As the 77th Pathsala biennial session of the Assam Xahitya Xabha approaches, several departments of the Assam Government PWD roads, public health engineering, and others besides fifty six subcommittees are busy and working day and night. About 10 minor and major sub-roads, including two main roads, are under construction to reach the main venue, Bhattadev Kshetra. A huge dining hall is also being constructed.
The conference will be attended by more than 400 invited guests from home and abroad as informed by the President of the Organizing Committee Ranjeet Kumar Dass.
Giridhar Choudhury, Secretary of the Organizing Committee said, “Our preparations are in full swing and almost 60 percent work has been completed so far in ‘Bhattadev Kshetra’ at Pathsala- a huge agricultural field.”
He added, “More than 9 lakh people and 5000 delegates from the regional committees of the sahitya sabha from across the state are expected to participate in the meet in Pathsala.”
Litterateurs from America, Germany, UK, Nepal, Arunachal Pradesh and several other countries will also participate in the conference.
As per reports, on the first day, i.e. January 31, a cultural program will be performed by local artists and on February 1 by invited artists Pulak Banerjee, Mithun Dhar, and Bipin Chawdang. On February 2, singers Nil Akash, Praveen Bora, and Ranjit Gogoi’s Bihua group and Sangeet Natak Academy Award winner Ramkrishna Talukdar will perform Satriya and Devdasi dances. There will be a cultural program by Jitul Sonwal, Kalpana Patwari, and Zubeen Garg on the evening of February 3. On February 4, there will be cultural programs by Achurya Barpathra, Priyanka Bharali, and Joy Barua and an exhibition of costumes from Assam and North East by Prasen Ghosh.
In addition to the cultural programmes, folk dances and folk music from Assam and the North East will be performed on the stage of the Pathsala session. Rabha folk dance of Boko, Goalparia dance of Gauripur, Dhubri, Chukapha Silpi Samaj, Guwahati, Tiwa Hajong dance Bagala, Jhagala Garo dance of Meghalaya, Darangi Oja and Deodhani dance of Mangaldai, Nepali dance, Tea ethnic Jhumur dance will be performed. There will also be performances of Manipuri dance, Boro ethnic dance, Darang Nangeli Chiagit dance, Barpeta Holi song, Bargeet, Kamrupia lokageet, Goalparia folk song, Tokari song, and Jikir. The event will be held from 7 pm to 12 pm daily.
Asom Sahitya Sabha, which is revered as the apex literary body of Assam, was established in 1917 to promote the culture of Assam and Assamese literature.
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