New Delhi: Guwahati-based Nuruddin Ahmed is engaged in the unique task 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.
Under his direction, 25 to 26 co-workers are engaged in recreating an Assamese village with a rural backdrop from Friday. The three-day event in the national capital will start from February 23. The village spread out in an area of 55 metres in length and 14 metre in breadth will have a life-size namghar, (a traditional Assamese), 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 Ahmed. A 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 sure 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 since created over 1,000 such idols so far 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 tall – 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 artefacts from the Ahom era on February 23. A total of 120 numbers of artefacts in three-layered packs are being airlifted from the Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport.
The artefacts 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 artefacts 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 for looking after the artefacts, to take every care so that no harm is caused and 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 February 24 while Prime Minister Narendra Modi will grace the valedictory function at Plenary Hall at Vigyan Bhawan at 10 am on November 25.
