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Rongali Bihu celebrated with fervour in Saudi Arabia

By The Assam Tribune - 15 Sep 2010 12:00 AM GMT

GUWAHATI, April 22 � Like last year, the tiny Assamese expatriate community living in Saudi Arabia celebrated Rongali Bihu on April 15, an e-mail received here stated.

Bihu celebration is a rarity in this part of the oil rich country. However, due to some sincere efforts and excellent coordination by some senior and Bihu enthusiasts like Shahjada Saleem, Reep Hazarika, Premananda Goswami and Rafiqul Hussain amongst others have made it happen. Bihu celebration here is gaining its momentum steadily since the last 4 or 5 years. Even Magh Bihu was celebrated here in Jubail Industrial City on January 15, last at a sprawling beach resort belonging to one of the biggest petrochemical companies.

This time the venue for Rongali Bihu was at the residence of Reep Hazarika, a senior engineer of a refinery at the Royal Commission area in Jubail Industrial City. A total of 57 members participated on the occasion which also included some 20 Bihu enthusiasts from capital city Riyadh, who drove down 500 km to join the occasion. All the guests from Riyadh were given a rousing reception and felicitated with Assamese gamochas.

It was nice to see the ladies attired in traditional mekhela chadors distributing a variety of homemade till-pitha, narikolor laroo and ghila pitha to the Bihu guests. The ladies did themselves proud by preparing mouth watering Bihu delicacies along with other dishes. The gents were felicitated with traditional Assamese gamochas. The celebration was conducted with traditional fervour.

The cultural programme included items of singing, dancing and sports for the children. Young Tanisha Kalita and Loni Bora stole the show with their amazing dance performance.

The organisers thanked and expressed their sincere appreciation to the ladies, Narzi Rafique, Jayeshree Goswami, Sitara Hilaly (Shelly), Sunaina Hazarika, Rima Sharma, Marzina Ahmed, Nafeesa Begum (Ify), Basovi Borkakoty, Taiyaba Begum, Upasan Datta and Ruby Kalita for their excellent and sincere participation, the e-mail concluded.