Dancer Tanvi Sarmah teaches children at a workshop in Shilpgram. Picture by UB Photos

March 20: Young boys and girls here danced to the beats and tune of the dhol and the pepa at Shilpgram today, setting the mood for Bohag Bihu that is just over a fortnight away.

From toddlers to teenagers, over 300 children, participated in a 11-day Bihu workshop at the cultural complex to prepare themselves to welcome the state’s most popular and biggest festival.

Clad in traditional attire, the participants seemed enthusiastic to learn the basics of playing dhol and synchronising their feet and moving their nimble hands in sync with the Bihu songs. Eleven days is not enough to learn all the nitty-gritty of the dance but they were hopeful; the workshop would help them learn, as some veteran bihuas were guiding them.

The workshop was organised by Assam Sanskritic Mancha in collaboration with Indian Council of Cultural Research (ICCR) and the North East Zonal Cultural Centre (NEZCC).

Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee Odissi and Xatriya dancer Garima Hazarika inaugurated the workshop today.

The organiser said cultural activist and principal of Moran College, Anil Saikia, along with another Bihu expert, Neil Bora, would be the chief observers at the workshop. While the workshop will be supervised by Dipjyoti Hazarika, 1992 Bihu Samragee Purabi Gogoi Das, 1997 Bihu Samragee Milli Konwar and 2010 Bihu Samragee Pompee Hazarika will be the chief instructors.

The participants did not only represent various schools and colleges here; many were from other districts as well.

Mukti Muhurta Hazarika, a Class XII student from Bokoliaghat in Karbi Anglong also participated in the workshop. “I came to know about the workshop through Facebook and decided to join. I am staying at my sister’s house to attend it,” Mukti said.

The workshop, however, was not free of cost. The father of a participant said he had to pay Rs 800 to get his son enrolled.

Baibhav Kashap, a student of Class VI of Srimanta Sankaradeva Academy said he was very happy to learn playing the dhol. His parents have presented him a small dhol to take part in the workshop.

A member of the Mancha, Dipjyoti Hazarika, said around 2,000 participants had undergone training in a series of Bihu workshops organised by them since 2010. He said the current workshop would come into end on March 30.

Former vice-chancellor of Arunachal University and a Tagore National Fellow, Annada Chandra Bhagawati, will be the chief guest in the concluding event.

Hazarika said the Mancha provided financial aid to dhol exponent Tulsi Ojha last year. “In continuance of our endeavour, we have decided to rename the financial aid as Barhamthuri Xilpi Award which will be conferred upon another dhol exponent Bhaneswar Saikia Ojha of Bokakhat. He is a disciple of Moghai Ojha. The award will be conferred on the concluding day of the workshop,” he said.