| Satriya institute The Satriya Institute of Music, Dance and Drama was recently inaugurated by artist, playwright and director of Satriya Kendra, Dulal Roy. This is an institute where the responsibility of imparting Satriya art has been taken up by two Barbayans from the Satras of Majuli — Haricharan Bhuyan Barbayan and Haliram Bora Barbayan of Natun and Uttar Kamalabari Satra, with the able support of Satriya exponent Prateesha Suresh and her non-profit organisation Pratishruti Foundation. The function started with a Naam Prasanga, rendered in the Kamalabari style by Hari Saikia Bayan, who led the participants – Haricharan Bhuyan, Haliram Bora and Diganta Bora, creating a sublime atmosphere where each one once again remembered the great efforts and work of the saints Sankardev and Madhavdev while contributing to Assamese society, art and culture. |
| Music camp A summer training camp on Jyoti Sangeet and Bishnu Rabha Sangeet was organised by Rag Ragini Sangeet Kala Kendra, Guwahati. The closing ceremony was held on August 9 at the auditorium of Gauhati Commerce College, which was attended by distinguished guests like Ratna Ojha, Bimal Chandra Hazarika, Chetana Das, Jimani Choudhury and Jyotinath Bordoloi. Songs were presented by Loknath Goswami, Meghamallika Sarma, Renu Sarma Goswami and Rangana Kalita, while the participants of the camp presented Jyoti Sangeet and Bishnu Rabha Sangeet. A dance item was also presented by Prajyalika Sarma and Gangotri Goswami. Kala-Kendra president Ranjan Kumar Bhattacharya distributed the certificates to the participants. |
| Soothing recital Vocalist Subhra Dutta recently regaled the patients, doctors and staff of the Dr B Barooah Cancer Institute, Guwahati with a presentation of Hindustani classical music. Subhra enthralled the audience with her rendition of Raag Raageshri, followed by a bandish in Vilambit Ektala before unfurling the raag in the form of Bistar. She then switched over to two madhyalaya bandishes one after the other, both set to trital, and finally concluded her recital with a Kabir Bhajan. Daughter of Radha Govinda Dutta and Sukla Dutta, Subhra received valuable tips from Banikana Ghosal and Sipra Das while completing her Sangeet Visharad from Bhatkhande in 2003. Earlier, Gargi Goswami began the programme with a vocal recital, followed by a violin recital by Debojit Goswami. All the three were accompanied by Dhriti Govinda Dutta on the tabla and by Pankaj Sharma on the harmonium. |
| Art camp Childscape ’09, a camp designed to acquaint  youngsters with painting, terracota and toy making, was organised by the Lotus Foundation as a summer vacation activity to commemorate the death anniversary of filmmaker Padum Barua. After the formal launch of the programme at his studio by artist Neelpawan Barua in the presence of participants, Padum Barua’s sibling Sankadhar Barua and other family members, the participants, instructors and organisers then moved to the Paschim Mayong High school. The participants learnt terracota and drawing with pastel colours. After a two-day camp there, the instructors/organisers moved to the next camp at Banasthali Academy near Gotanagar where the participants mostly opted for crafts and toy making. Altogether 64 students participated in the five-day exercise. |
| Assamese video UFO A 71-minute Assamese science  fiction video film, titled UFO, directed by 23-year-old Tarunabh Dutta was recently cleared by the Censor Board. The story, screenplay, photography and editing of the film, a first of its kind here, are by Tarunabh, a graduate from the Sir JJ College of Architecture, Mumbai. Besides editing at his home computer, he has himself inserted digital special effects.Panchi is the central character in the film, who, while alone in the house, sees a flying UFO and some live unidentified objects. The artistes are all new faces like Martina Gogoi (Panchi), Tanmoy, Abha, Muktideep, Minakshi, Deepa, Lina and others. Tarunabh’s special interest is films, though he has written several short stories and drawn comics too. As a student in Mumbai, he made a documentary on the local trains titled Redifining the Motion of a Public Place and won the Nari-Gandhi Trophy at the annual conference of NASA. |
| World Photography Day As in previous years, on the occasion of World Photography Day on August 19, a five-day photography exhibition was held at the State Art Gallery under the aegis of the Photographic Society of Assam. The exhibition was inaugurated by internationally renowned photographer Nalini Kanta Barua. The exhibition covered works by 47 photographers (including photo-journalists) which included Nalini Kanta Barua, Jayanta Dutta, member, All India-International Photographic Council, SH Patgiri, Charukamal Hazarika, Kamal Barman, Rituraj Konwar, Tarak Chandra Sarma, Rahul Biswas and others. On August 19, 1839, it was publicly announced that photography had been invented in Paris. The day is celebrated throughout the world. |
Apurba Kumar Das