9-day Makhibaha Sabha Mahotsav celebration to begin from Feb 28

Tihu, Feb 19: Makhibaha is a culturally and academically developed model village situated near here on the western part of Nalbari district. The Makhibaha village development committee has been organising the Makhibaha Sabha Mahotsav for almost 200 years. This festival is not only restricted to the people of the Makhibaha area but has now become a veritable showpiece of lower Assam.

The unity and harmony among different ethnic groups that are on show at this festival, which is held in a large field, serve as an inspiration for society at large. The adherence of the people of this area to collective traditions is really an example for all communities of Assam.

It is pertinent to mention that the next edition of the Makhibaha Sabha Mahotsav will be held with a nine-day programme from February 28 to March 8.

In the year 1835, the famous Choudhury family started the annual event on Amavasya Tithi of the month of Phagun to mark the death anniversary of late Laxminarayan Choudhury. In 1935, the residents of the area handed over the responsibility of this event to the Makhibaha Sabha Samiti. Since then, the Sabha Samiti has been celebrating the event on Sukla Pratipad Tithi in the month of Phagun with hom-jagya and various other programmes.

This great event started by the Choudhury family has now become a significant religious, cultural, and commercial pilgrimage site in lower Assam. The Makhibaha village development committee has been involved with this mega event as per tradition since 1984.

There are two things that have made Makhibaha village famous Makhibaha Sabha Mahotsav and the mobile theatre group "Makunda Theatre'. Makun da Theatre is one of the flag ship institutions of Makhibaha's cultural heritage, just like Kohinoor Theatre, Abahan Theatre and Nataraj Theatre have made Pathsala famous.

An eminent social worker of the village, Ganesh Dutta, said: "It would be a mistake if we do not mention the names of some prominent persons who were born in the village and made the village shine in the context of Assam. They are Dr Mathuranath Bhattacharjya, former principal of Assam Medical College, Dibrugarh: Dr Narendra Dutta, managing director of Down Town Hospitals, Guwahati; Dr Debi Charan Choudhury, former principal of Gauhati Medical College; Gurudutta Bhagawati, prominent writer, Kamal Narayan Choudhury, eminent theatre director cum artiste; Adyanath Sarma, eminent artiste: Hangshanath Bhattacharjya, Sanskrit scholar: Namita Bhattacharjya, noted singer; Hem Bhattacharjya, play-wright cum theatre director: and Tarun Ch Dutta, sports organiser."

In earlier times, many Bhutanese people came to attend the Makhibaha Sabha Mahotsav for business purposes. At present, however, people from Bhutan have stopped coming here, but the advent of people from all. over the Northeast has turned the event into an even bigger festival

By Paresh Ch Sarma