Will folklore get a boost, besides conservation?

Deepor Beel Festival

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, Dec 26: Different strokes for different folks! This piece fits like a glove for Deepor Beel, a bird sanctuary and a Ramsar site in Guwahati set to hold a three-day Deepor Beel Festival from January 16 to 18. Diverse ethnicity surrounding Deepor Beel, wildlife NGOs working overtime for the preservation of biodiversity there, encroachers and many others do make the spot a juncture of ‘different folks with different strokes’.

Assam is a fertile land where folk music, dance, literature and the like are in the making every moment. One of the most recent folk creations of the popular ethnic song in the Dimoria area on the outskirts of Guwahati, Lalilang, reminds one as to how folk writers or composers are working on apace.  Late Jugeswar Pator is still a revered me in the Dimoria area for his immortal ethnic song –  Toiye Herow Lalilang Oi/Ghoror Jonir Gali Khang Oi/Ebati Koi Modoke Oi Diya/Modore Nichate Oi/Bagori Nu Porilu Oi/Tirir Aji Gali Oi Khalu. The song, which is a popular Kecha Bihu song now, was first sung and danced to its tune before fishing in beels.   

Revelation of such ethnicity and ethnic culture, including the moridund ones in mind, besides conservation initiatives, Aikya Xe Axom and Paschim Guwahati Karbi garik Mancha  have stepped up for the first time to hold this festival in January next.

Programmes like Jyoti Sangeet, dance competitions on Jyoti Sangeet, art competition on biodiversity of Deepor Beel, an open discussion of intellectuals and jourlists on the preservation of Deepor Beel, food festivals, exhibitions and sales of traditiol outfits, etc., have been lined up for the festival that is set to conclude on January 19 with a cleanliness drive.   Ministers Pramila Rani Brahma, Himanta Biswa Sarma, ba Kumar Doley, BTC CEM Hagrama Mohilary, ATDC chairman Jayanta Malla Baruah and others are expected to attend the festival.