Months of Rhythm, One Perfect Moment: Inside the Mega 'Bagurumba' Event

A grand cultural event featuring the traditional Bagurumba dance will be held on January 17 at Sarusajai Stadium, Guwahati, where 10,000 dancers will perform in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Preparations for the mega event are in full swing, with performers drawn from 81 Assembly constituencies across 23 districts of Assam. All participating dancers have been arriving at Sarusajai since January 12 to take part in full-fledged rehearsals for the final performance.

Earlier, addressing a press conference today, Assam Cultural Affairs Minister Bimal Borah said the initiative is part of the state government’s continued effort to preserve and promote Assam’s rich folk culture on a global platform. After the successful presentation of Bihu and Jhumoir Binandini, Bagurumba will now be showcased before the Prime Minister.

He said the choreography and overall structure of the performance have been designed by 25 cultural experts from the Bodo community, while 400 master trainers have been engaged to train and coordinate the dancers. Rehearsals were also held at the constituency level between January 8 and January 10, followed by centralized practice sessions at Sarusajai.

Speaking on seating arrangements, Borah said that although Sarusajai Stadium has a seating capacity of 23,000, around 4,000 seats have been removed to facilitate the large-scale performance, allowing 19,000 spectators to witness the event live.

The minister confirmed that entry passes for the January 17 programme are now over, with a total of 27,000 passes distributed earlier from Rabindra Bhavan, Kalakshetra and Sarusajai Stadium. Of the total, around 7,000 pass holders are from Guwahati, while nearly 15,000 visitors are expected from different parts of the state.

However, for those unable to secure entry passes, the government has arranged an opportunity to watch the final rehearsal on January 16 from 5:30 pm, which will be held in the presence of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. Entry to the stadium on the day of the main event will begin from 2 pm.

Borah also clarified that the programme is not aimed at creating any world record, but is being organised to draw global attention to Assam’s diverse cultural heritage and to promote unity among the state’s various ethnic communities.

The mega Bagurumba performance is expected to be one of the largest cultural showcases in Assam, reflecting the state’s traditions, unity and artistic richness on a national and international stage.