GUWAHATI: The 18th Raseswar Saikia Barbayan Sattriya Awards, along with a two-day Sattriya dance and music festival, will be held on July 8 and 9 at the Sri Sri Madhavdev Auditorium of Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra in Guwahati.
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This year's Raseswar Saikia Barbayan Award will be conferred on noted Borgeet singer Khana Das and eminent tabla player and social worker Likhan Sharma. Chhattisgarh Governor Ramen Deka will present the awards at the inaugural ceremony.
The event will be attended by Union Minister Pabitra Margherita, Assam Culture Minister Bimal Bora, MLA Diplu Ranjan Sharma, Madhavdev University Vice-Chancellor Prof. Arupjyoti Chowdhury, Sanskar Bharati Delhi Office Secretary and North East Field Chief Ashok Tiwari, Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra Samaj Vice-President Pranjal Saikia, Additional Chief Secretary of the Cultural Affairs Department B. Kalyan Chakraborty, and Director of Cultural Affairs Rahul Das, among others.
The opening day's cultural programme will begin with a khol recital conducted by Arunabhjyoti Malakar, followed by a Mohiniyattam performance by renowned Carnatic artiste Dr. Dipti Omchery Bhalla. Sattriya dance performances by the students of Sangeet Sattra, under the direction of Ranjumani Saikia, will feature artistes Rishi Kanya Dutta, Nishita Parashar, Priyanka Bayon, Avantika Chowdhury, Himakshi Kalita, and Nimisha Barua. The evening will conclude with a performance by Anjali Barua, recipient of the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar, and her students, who will present dance productions based on Putna Badha, Bakasur Badha, and Kaliya Daman, followed by Nadubhangi and Bhortal dances. Additional performances by Sangeet Sattra students will be conducted by Ranjumani Saikia, Rinjumani Saikia, and Dhrubajyoti Pathak.
The second day's programme will be attended by Limpon Bora, Academic Registrar of Madhavdev University; Sudarshan Thakur, Secretary of Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra Samaj; Deepankar Gogoi, Regional Director of the CBFC; Dr. Pratibha Sharma, Director of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Sattriya Centre and others.
During the festival, Sangeet Sattra will felicitate Haricharan Saikia, Nuruddin Ahmed, Bipul Das, Chetana Das, Prem Ojha, Dr. Mallika Kandali, and Bhaskar Jyoti Oja, recipients of the Padma Shri and Sangeet Natak Akademi awards, for their contributions to the cultural field.
The concluding day's programme will include a workshop led by noted Kamalabari Satra singer Narendra Khataniar, a Sattriya dance presentation by Anita Tamuli and her students from Dulijan Club, a flute recital by Nibir Dev Sharma, performances by Sangeet Sattra artistes and students, and a special Sattriya recital by noted dancer Ruby Bora Bardoloi of Tezpur.