Anjali Mahanta Raichoudhury: A Tribute

It was a shocking news in the early morning of March 8, when we came to know that Anjali Mahanta Raichoudhury baideu is no more. It was indeed an irredeemable loss for all Assamese people.  The residents of greater bin gar, Zoo-Road area became speechless to see the motionless body of Anjali baideu who was one of the most active and honorable ladies of our locality.

Born in Shillong in 1955, she was the fourth child of Late bin Ch. Mahanta and Late Kunjalata Mahanta. Her worthy husband late Sanjib Kr. Raichoudhury expired four years back. Anjali baideu was a born artist. Art was her passion. Her way of life, her expression and her domestic life, everything around her, there was a sense art. Even she died in an artistic way. In the morning hours of March 8, she was not feeling well due to cough and cold and asked her daughter Yaman to bring few basil leaves (Tulosi). She took two tulosi leaves in her mouth, prayed Lord Rama and closed her eyes forever.   

Anjali baideu was in love with music. Although, she learnt Indian classical music, she preferred Assamese Borgeet and local folk songs and excelled in this line. She produced different audio cassettes on Borgeet, marriage songs, Kamrupia Lokgeet etc.  She was a true child of the soil of Assam because she worked relentlessly to develop the origil Assamese music and ethnicity. She went to the root of Assamese culture and wrote few origil books after a thorough research.  For example, we can me her book Asomar Lokkola & Lokjiban and Asomar Bhasa-Sahitya-Sanskritir Snehabandhan; both the books were awarded as the best origil researched writing for the year 2012 and 2014 respectively.   

Her book Asomor Loksahitya & Loksanskriti is taught in the Assamese department of the Gauhati University. She received so many awards in her life time. In 2014, she received ‘Intertiol India– Nepal Friendship Award’ for her video film nder ndan and for her writing and singing on the cultural cooperation between the two countries.

Whenever, I think of Anjali baideu, I remember one famous saying of George Berrd Shaw, told about death: “In the arts of life man invents nothing; but in the arts of death he outdoes ture herself”.  Today, on her Adya Shradha, with tearful eyes I pray to Almighty may her soul rest in peace.

Swap Goswami