The Rongali Bihu, also known as Bohag Bihu, which ushers in the Assamese new year, is distinguished by the Bihu naas. The Assam government has organised an elaborate folk dance performance on April 14, the festival's opening day, with 11,140 performers from throughout the state in front of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Guwahati's Sarusajai Stadium.
It is intended to "organize the largest Bihu dance performance at a single venue and make it into the Guinness Book of World Records in the folk-dance category," according to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
The actual performance will only last for about 15 minutes. But the logistics are extensive, starting with the choice of the performers.
It is intended to "organize the largest Bihu dance performance at a single venue and make it into the Guinness Book of World Records in the folk-dance category," according to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
The actual performance will only last for about 15 minutes. But the logistics are extensive, starting with the choice of the performers.
The routine's choreography has been assigned to Bihu expert Ranjit Gogoi.
"We created a model film of the choreography back in February, and an expert committee approved it. We brought in "masters" from every district, and they received training in the routine in Guwahati so they could return and instruct the artists in their areas using the film. Workshops were conducted by the masters in every district from March 27 to March 31 under the direction of our experts, according to Gogoi.
The preparation is careful. "We measured how many square feet each dancer will receive on the ground in order to make sure that all of the artists can be accommodated in the space. Finally, 7,000 women will be dancing on the ground, and the musicians will be in the galleries, according to Gogoi. To show precisely how many instrumentalists from each region will fit in a certain gallery, precise schematics have been created.
