Goalpara hosts ‘Under the Sal Tree 2025’; funds crunch trims festival to one day

Goalpara, Dec 15: The 16th edition of famed theatre festival, “Under the Sal Tree 2025”, commenced on Monday, at the premises of the Badungduppa Kala Kendra in Rampur, Goalpara district.

Organised by the Badungduppa Kala Kendra, founded by late theatre exponent Sukracharya Rabha, the festival is being staged in the open, beneath towering sal trees, offering audiences a completely natural setting.

The festival opened at 10 am with the Rabha-language play Ranjumukh. This is scheduled to be followed later in the afternoon by the Assamese play Edin Teo Ahibo and the Hindi play Der Inch Upar.

Sharing her experience, a spectator said, “I watched the first show and really loved it. I had heard about this festival for many years, and I feel lucky to have witnessed it in person. Watching a play amid nature is truly a unique experience.”

Although the festival is usually organised over three to four days each year, it has been restricted to a single day this year due to financial constraints.

“We received limited funds this time, which is why the event has been organised for just one day. To organise such a programme, we need support from both government and non-government sources. With adequate funding, we would have held it for two or three days,” said an organising member.

For the past 15 years, the Badungduppa Kala Kendra has been hosting this unique theatre festival in a reserved forest area of Rampur village, transforming a clearing amid hundreds of sal trees into a natural stage and staging performances in daylight.

The plays are performed entirely in a natural environment, without microphones, electric lighting or sound systems.

Rejecting artificial stage settings, spotlights, halogen lights, special effects and modern musical instruments, the organisers place exclusive emphasis on indigenous props and traditional musical instruments.

The initiative aims to preserve and promote indigenous folk theatre and cultural traditions through an alternative, eco-sensitive approach.