I was privileged to attend the main celebrations of Assam-Manipur Month this past weekend in Milpitas in the Silicon Valley area of California. The Assamese individuals and families in Northern California pulled their resources together with a handful of Manipuri families and performed a great feat. It was the first time such an elaborate presentation of the culture and heritage of Assam has been done in North America.
There is a month-long exhibition going on right now in Milpitas using the facilties of the Indian Cultural Center. There are many paintings and sketches of Assamese luminaries created from scratch, a large relief map of Assam that has been painstakingly prepared, a replica of a typical Assamese home with an Assamese dheki in the verandah, large number of photographs of authentic Assamese jewelry, several mannequins resplendent in Assamese paat and mugaa and jewelry, exceptional photographs of celebrated monuments from Assam, presentations on Assam's flora and fauna. There are many other exemplars of Assam's heritage in this exhbition. It's the first time I have seen such an exhibition in North America. This past Saturday (April 17, 2004) featured Rongali Bihu celebrations followed on Sunday by a joint cultural program by Assamese, Manipuri, Khasi, Mizo, Naga residents of California. The Bihu celebrations included a festive picnic by a picturesque lake in the morning followed by a cultural program in the evening. There were approximately 150 people in attendance, mostly Assamese during the Bihu program. A large number of the attendees were from Southern California with a smattering of attendees from other parts of the US and a few from Assam. The cultural program featured the famed Husori group of Northern California, a performance of Xattriya Dance, a Goalporiya Dance, several melodius folk and modern Assamese song presentations along with singing and dancing by the young Assamese performers. The Assam-Manipur Day program on Sunday (April 18, 2004) was attended by approximately 350 people. It was well-publicized within the greater Indian community and those Americans who appreciate and savor foreign cultural events. The event was sponsored by SAP, the software giant from Germany. SAP organized a seminar in the morning on how to go about fostering the development of a high-tech industry in Assam. The agenda for the day's cultural program included: a Bihu dance performance, a Xattriya dance performance, a Goalporia dance performance, Bhupen Hazarika's songs, Assamese folk songs, a performance Ras Lila dance of Manipur, a Bamboo dance from Manipur, singing of borgeets, and a adorable costume show by kids with origins in Assam, Manipur, Nagaland, Mizoram and Meghalaya. Overall, everything was very well-organized. The food served and sold was great. I was thoroughly impressed. Keep up the good work, California!! Jugal Kalita Colorado Springs, Colorado _______________________________________________ Assam mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://pikespeak.uccs.edu/mailman/listinfo/assam Mailing list FAQ: http://pikespeak.uccs.edu/assam/assam-faq.html To unsubscribe or change options: http://pikespeak.uccs.edu/mailman/options/assam
