The eternal voice of Nagara Naam and Ramcharan Bharali

Assam remembers Ramcharan Bharali, the legendary Nagara Naam Pathak, whose life and art were inseparable from the pulse of devotion
– Neelim Akash Kashyap (neelimassam@gmail.com )

When a soul who lived through rhythm departs, the silence that follows carries a strange kind of sound—one that echoes from the heart. In that profound quiet, Assam remembers Ramcharan Bharali, the legendary Nagara Naam Pathak, whose life and art were inseparable from the pulse of devotion. At midnight on November 6, 2025, his passing marks not only the end of an era but also the closing of a sacred chapter in Assam’s folk tradition.

Born in 1939 in Dehar Kalakuchi, a serene village in Nalbari district, Ramcharan Bharali came from a humble middle-class family. His father, the late Lalit Chandra Bharali, and mother, the late Lakshmi Bharali, nurtured in him the simplicity and discipline that later defined his artistic life. He began his early education at Dehar Kalakuchi Primary School and continued up to Class X at Jagara High School. His first tryst with the stage began in 1958 when he joined the ‘Pragati Jatra Party’, marking the start of an eleven-year journey through the vibrant world of folk theatre. Those years of acting and performing shaped his artistic instincts and prepared him for a deeper calling.

In 1967, Ramcharan Bharali founded the ‘Dehar Kalakuchi Yuvak Naam Party’, a group that would go on to redefine Nagara Naam in Assam. With this ensemble, he began transforming ordinary village gatherings into profound experiences of rhythm and worship. His voice, the thunder of his Nagara Naam, and the poetic precision of his verses soon became inseparable from the devotional spirit of lower Assam. A landmark moment came in 1979, during the Assam Agitation, when his composition—woven with patriotic fervour and spiritual emotion—resonated deeply across the state. The performance won him immense admiration, leading to years of repeated stagings at public demand. Over time, Bharali became a symbol of artistic devotion. His performances were not just songs but rituals in sound—prayers expressed through percussion. The Assam Government recognised his lifelong dedication by awarding him a state artiste pension in 1998, making him the first among the nagara naam pathaks to receive such honour. Earlier, in 1994, he had received a one-time assistance grant, but it was only the beginning of many accolades to come. Throughout his career, Bharali was honoured with numerous awards, including the ‘Nagara Surya’ title from Asom Natya Sanmilan (2002), the ‘Nibaran Bora Award’ from Purvanchal Lok Parishad (2008), the ‘Jeevan Jora Sanskriti Sadhana Award’ (2008 & 2011), the ‘Dr Ambedkar Kalashree Award’ from Bharatiya Dalit Sahitya Akademi (2010), the ‘National Folklore Support Centre’s Tata Fellowship’ (2012), the ‘Enajori Bota’ (2015), the ‘Mohan Baira Bota’ (2017) and the ‘Naam Shiromoni Bota’ (2022), respectively. Each recognition stood as a testament to his lifelong pursuit of cultural preservation and spiritual art.

Ramcharan Bharali’s contribution extended beyond live performance. He produced a number of 105 audio cassettes and 30 audio-visual cassettes, keeping Nagara Naam alive for new generations. His artistic versatility also led him to the silver screen—appearing in short films such as ‘Biswa Boiragi’ and ‘Neelam and Silent Killer’ and in the feature film ‘Dithokot Heraal Sapon’. His performances were distinguished by sincerity and emotion rather than spectacle. To him, Nagara Naam was not an act but an offering—a bridge between the human heart and the divine.

When the maestro breathed his last at his home, located in Kumarikata in Nalbari district, the Nagara Naams fell silent—yet that silence itself seemed filled with rhythm. The voice may rest, but its echo travels through the temples and courtyards of Assam. For generations to come, the name Ramcharan Bharali will not be remembered merely as a performer but as the ‘Nagara Naamor Surjya’—a saint of sound who transformed rhythm into devotion and silence into eternal music. His legacy lives—not in the noise of applause, but in the quiet heartbeat of every Assamese soul who still listens when the Nagara Naams begins to pray.