Azara tya Mandir set to groom amateur dramatists

from our correspondent

AZARA, Sept 4: The oompah of brass cymbals, staccato of Assamese dhaks and dhools and trumpets mute with different timbres have been rending the air in Azara since yesterday when the renovated  110-year-old Azara Bandhu Milan tya Mandir, one of the oldest theatres of Assam, was iugurated formally. The three-day cultural programme will conclude tomorrow. The drama centre was iugurated way back in 1905.

The drama centre has planned to allow amateur drama troupes to stage dramas after every three months and hold drama workshops from time to time so as to rope in the young generation into cultural mainstream of the State. Such activities, they said, will help groom the amateur dramatists of the State. There were various ts and other cultural programmes on the Day 2 of the three-day cultural extravaganza. Tomorrow being the Srikrish Janmastami, there will be Srikrish Bhao and other programmes. A drama -- Goernika -- directed by Himangshu Prasad Das will also be staged tomorrow.

Bhaben Chandra Medhi, who together with his family members bore the cost of the repair of the drama centre in memory of Deven Chandra Medhi, was given a warn welcome by the organizing committee yesterday. If it was followed by the unfurling of the flag of the tya Mandir by the president of the committee, Bhaben Chandra Medhi. The tribute-paying programme was led by Maheswar Das and Dr. Aswhini Kumar Das. Ranjit Kumar Medhi opened the door of the renovated tya mandir. Ranjit Medhi said that the drama artistes from Azara had stepped into the world of drama from Azara Bandhu Milan tya Mandir. “It is the launchpad for many drama artistes from this part of the state to the world of drama,” Medhi said. He spelt out the contribution made by dramatist and social worker Chandra Medhi to drama and society.

A souvenir on the occasion was released at a meeting presided over by tya Mandir president  Bhaben Chandra Medhi. The souvenir was released by Malin Chandra Das. In the evening, the ceremonial flames were lighted by Shyamlal Baruah, Gajendra Chandra Medhi, Jagat Chandra Medhi and Mintu Baruah. A number of dramas and cultural programmes were staged on day one.