400 birth anniversary of Lachit Barphukan celebrations: Noted artist Nuruddin Ahmed to recreate Assamese village at Vigyan Bhawan

Guwahati based artist Nuruddin Ahmed is in the job of recreating an Assamese village in the national capital.

 
The veteran artist has been hired by the Government of Assam to build an Assamese village on the lawns of Vigyan Bhawan, the venue of the three-day event marking the 400th birth anniversary of the great warrior, Ahom General Lachit Barphukan. 

25 to 26 co-workers are busy at work to recreate an Assamese village with a rural backdrop from Friday. The three-day event in the national capital kickstarts from February 23.

The village spread out in an area of 55 metre in length and 14 metre in breadth will have a life-size namghar, Assam type house, chang ghar (bamboo stilt house) representing the Mising and Dimasa communities, tea tribe community, portrayal of soklong (traditional Ahom marriage), and erecting a maidam (burial mound). 

"Raw materials are being procured locally while items like the sarai, japi and bamboo products are being brought from Assam," said Nuruddin Ahmed.

Recipient of Sangeet Natak Akademi Award and President's Award, Ahmed who has been in the trade of designing for more than four decades, also does costume designing for films and theatre in Assam.

"With extraordinary creativity in the trade of designing, Nuruddin Ahmed has set high benchmarks in the field and made the state proud," said a member of the venue management and decoration committee, adding, "We respect him as an artist and we are happy that he has agreed to work with us. We are certain that Ahmed will create a real Assamese village with rural settings, which will become the cynosure of all eyes."
Born in North Lakhimpur district of Assam, Ahmed made the first Durga idol in 1975 and has ever since created over 1,000 and designed many puja pandals in Assam.

His 98-feet Durga Idol made of bamboo during the 2017 Durga Puja at the Bishnupur Sarbajanin Puja Committee' pandal in Guwahati, has been enlisted in the Limca Book of Records as the tallest Durga idol. His 74 feet in length and 55 feet in height – model of Lord Ganesha as theme of the Puja pandal earned him accolades. 

Besides, he has done most of the works in Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra, a hub of cultural heritage of Assam including its main gate and Bhupen Hazarika Museum.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will inaugurate an exhibition showcasing artifacts from the Ahom era on November 23. A total of 120 numbers of artifacts in three-layered packs are being airlifted from the Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport.

The artifacts belong to the Directorate of Museums, Directorate of Archaeology and Directorate of Historical and Antiquarian Studies and weighing around 232 kgs to Delhi's Vigyan Bhawan for display on all three days. These artifacts of great historical significance, including rock inscriptions of the Ahom era that lasted for long 600 years will be kept at a strong room under tight security after their arrival from Guwahati.

Chief Minister, Dr.Himanta Biswa Sarma has instructed the officials assigned to look after the artifacts to take care and ensure that no harm is caused to the artifacts. He also instructed the officials to transport them back safely once the programme is over. 

At the direction of the Chief Minister, the traditional Assamese gamocha stacked on bamboo sticks will adorn the path leading to the main entrance of Vigyan Bhawan. 

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will attend the plenary session as chief guest on November 24 while Prime Minister Narendra Modi will grace the valedictory function at Plenary Hall at Vigyan Bhawan at 10 am on November 25. A documentary will be screened on the great warrior who crushed the Mughals in the historic Battle of Saraighat near Guwahati.

Governor of Assam, Prof. Jagdish Mukhi, Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, Chief Minister, Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma, Speaker, Assam Legislative Assembly, Biswajit Daimary, Minister, Information & Public Relations, Pijush Hazarika, Justice (retd.) and MP Ranjan Gogoi and MP, Topon Kumar Gogoi will attend the valedictory function. 

On November 23, Union Minister for Law and Justice, Kiren Rijiju will inaugurate a cultural evening at Sunder Nursery, City Park, Nizamuddin.There will be two panel discussion shedding light on the life and times of the valiant warrior, Lachit Barphukan. In the panel discussion to be held on November 23 on the topic, "The Ahom Saga of Hope, Skills and Courage" to be moderated by former Chief Secretary, Assam, Jishnu Barua, the panellists include State Information Commissioner, Assam, Dr.Samudra Gupta Kashyap, former DG, Assam, UP and BSF, Prakash Singh, Dr. Chandan Kumar Sharma, Department of History, Dibrugarh University, Prof.Kapil Kapur, Pro VC, JNU and Kuldeep Patowary, academician. In the panel discussion on November 24, on the topic, "Ignored Historiography of Assam's Assertion", Prof. Rajib Handique, Department of History, Gauhati University, Dr.Sangeeta Gogoi, Department of History, Mangaldai College, Chandraprakash Dwivedi, actor and film maker, Vikram Sampat, eminent author and Rajesh Kumar Singh, film maker and critic will take part.

The panel discussion will be moderated by Prof. Nani Gopal Mahanta, Adviser, Education, Government of Assam. 
It is a virtual who's who list of eminent personalities, academicians, historians, artists, satradhikars, Cabinet Ministers, MoS, MPs from North East, MLAs, party functionaries, IAS, IPS, IFS officers of Assam-Meghalaya cadre, past and present, Vice Chancellors and sportspersons taking part in the three-day event. More than 200 students with History background are participating from Assam and join the celebrations. 

Apex and core executive committees together with various sub committees have been constituted for smooth conduct of the prestigious event in the national capital, with Chief Minister, Dr.Himanta Biswa Sarma personally overseeing every minute detail to make the programme aimed at glorifying the heroic feats of the legendary warrior, nationally and globally.