The second and final phase of the Rongali Bihu celebration organized by the 65th Sadou Mangaldai Rongali Bihu Sanmilani got underway with three days variety of programmes at the historic Gandhi Maidan in Mangaldai of Assam’s Darrang district from Saturday.
The celebration of the day which began with the state level marathon race competition featured several other programmes including singing contest titled ‘Geetisudha’ and cultural evening with the local artistes.
The ‘Geetisudha’ contest which has been conducted by singer and radio announcer Pranjal Sarma recorded around 50 young singers.
In the cultural evening, the audience were enthralled by the renditions of promising child artiste Anwesha Goswami, youth artiste Suman and senior administrative officer Kalpana Deka besides the group dances performed by several cultural troupes including Youth Club music institute, Jagriti Krishti Sangha and Upasana music institute among others.
Earlier the first phase of the four-day celebration was held on April 15 with a day long programme where much to the delight and inspiration of the progressive farmers of Darrang district, the oldest Rongali Bihu celebration committee of the district, for the first time in its recent history has come forward to offer public felicitation to a progressive local farmers.
The president of the Bihu Committee and Mangaldai legislator Gurujyoti Das in presence of its working president Rajiv Kr Deka, general secretary Diganta Mani Bora and other office bearers on Monday offered felicitation to Dhrubjyoti Saikia, a progressive young farmer hailing from village Ramgaon with a memento, a gamosa and a traditional ‘halowa japi‘.
Besides farmer Saikia, prominent artist Mantu Das and retired engineer Haren Kakati were also feted on the occasion. Meanwhile the first day of the four-day Bihu celebration in the historic Gandhi Maidan in two different phases has also marked a colourful cultural rally and a launching of an Assamese song sung by senior administrative officer and singer Kalpana Deka.
Deputy commissioner Ghanshyam Dass flagged off the cultural rally while the song was ceremonially released by legislator Gurujyoti Das.
The celebration which will come to end on Monday has also featured several other attractive cultural, literary and sports programmes including All Assam Prize Money Mukoli Bihu, Bihu Kunwari, cycling contests, souvenir release function and cultural evening by guest artiste among others.