GUWAHATI, Oct 13 � The season of the kohuwa and the night flowering jasmines is a reason of joy as well as sorrow for the folk artistes. It�s a time to celebrate because they get invited by the different puja committees and it is also a matter of sorrow because few people actually acknowledge their presence.
Behind the glamour of the pandals, the well dressed men and women, these folk artistes who are invited to perform Ojaapali, Nagaara naam etc fail to attract the attention though their presence is as essential as the rituals. An auspicious occasion here is incomplete without the inclusion of Ojaapali and Nagaara naam.
Dwipen Sarma who is an employee in Cotton College and is well known for his excellence in performing Nagaara naam, acknowledged that few people felt the presence of the folk artistes in the puja pandals. �The festive season offers an opportunity to the folk artistes to improve their income as most of them are always hard pressed for money. But they also want the people to stop a while and watch their performance,� said Sarma adding that folk artistes who are struggling to sustain their art would be encouraged if people show interest. Sarma has been performing Nagaara naam for the sheer pleasure of the spiritual satisfaction that he gets from this performing art. For him money is not a big deal. Every year he along with his group members, who are mechanics and professionals in various business establishments perform in different puja pandals.
Dispur Barowari puja committee member Robin Das said that pandal hoppers have no time to enjoy the performance of the folk artistes. �But like rituals, we cannot do without the folk artistes even though people ignore them,� said Das. Noted theatre personality Gunakar Dev Goswami who is also a folk artiste regretted that Ojapaali and other performing arts that are integral to puja celebrations do not get their due respect. Goswami said that inclusion of folk performing art in the Durga puja celebration has become just another perfunctory ritual in the capital city.
GUWAHATI, Oct 13 � The season of the kohuwa and the night flowering jasmines is a reason of joy as well as sorrow for the folk artistes. It�s a time to celebrate because they get invited by the different puja committees and it is also a matter of sorrow because few people actually acknowledge their presence.
Behind the glamour of the pandals, the well dressed men and women, these folk artistes who are invited to perform Ojaapali, Nagaara naam etc fail to attract the attention though their presence is as essential as the rituals. An auspicious occasion here is incomplete without the inclusion of Ojaapali and Nagaara naam.
Dwipen Sarma who is an employee in Cotton College and is well known for his excellence in performing Nagaara naam, acknowledged that few people felt the presence of the folk artistes in the puja pandals. �The festive season offers an opportunity to the folk artistes to improve their income as most of them are always hard pressed for money. But they also want the people to stop a while and watch their performance,� said Sarma adding that folk artistes who are struggling to sustain their art would be encouraged if people show interest. Sarma has been performing Nagaara naam for the sheer pleasure of the spiritual satisfaction that he gets from this performing art. For him money is not a big deal. Every year he along with his group members, who are mechanics and professionals in various business establishments perform in different puja pandals.
Dispur Barowari puja committee member Robin Das said that pandal hoppers have no time to enjoy the performance of the folk artistes. �But like rituals, we cannot do without the folk artistes even though people ignore them,� said Das. Noted theatre personality Gunakar Dev Goswami who is also a folk artiste regretted that Ojapaali and other performing arts that are integral to puja celebrations do not get their due respect. Goswami said that inclusion of folk performing art in the Durga puja celebration has become just another perfunctory ritual in the capital city.
