Bishnu Jyoti Sangeet Vidyalaya

Bishnu Jyoti Sangeet Vidyalaya is an institute in the eastern past of Assam. It is situated in Kenduguri, Hatibaruahgaon, Jorghat, and was founded with the aim of serving and reviving the traditional and classical art forms of Assam for the betterment of society. The group has been working in the field of culture since 1997, and has achieved a huge amount of appreciation and love from the people of Assam. It has staged many cultural performances in various parts of the state.
Bishnu Jyoti Sangeet Vidyalaya is also a training institute where children are taught dance, music and theatre, all aimed at helping them adjust to society better and to remain connected to the traditional arts of the region despite an unstable social condition. The main objective of the institute is to help in the creative articulation of artists at the academic and physical levels as well as at the mental level.

Folk forms to be performed:

Gayan Bayan - This is a classical form prevalent in Assam, and refers to an orchestration of music that in turn comprises a necessary part of Ankya Bhaona. The form was created by the great poet and philosopher, Shankar Deva, and shares certain similarities with the Purva Ranga of classical
Indian theatre.
Komal Geet - This song describing the beauty of Lord Krishna is based on poet-philosopher Shankar Deva's first poem, 'Karatal kamala dala nayana….', which he wrote when he was only seven years old and in which he did not use any vowels of the Assamese language. The song is called komal geet in Satrya tradition.
Sutradhary Nritya - Sutradhary nritya also comes under the Satrya Sanskriti that was propagated by Shankar Deva. It is a dance form performed in the beginning of a Ankya Bhaona performance, and is used to narrate the theme and incidents of the play. Although it is somewhat similar to the role of the sutredhaar in Indian classical theatre, in Ankya Bhaona the performer of the sutradhary nritya is not simply a narrator, but also a dancer, singer, performer, director and prompter. Through his dance he fulfills the dual role of carrying forward the storyline a well as of helping the audience understand the play.
Bihu - The Assamese people celebrate Bihu in three ways, of which the one called the rangali bihu, the springtime festival connected with harvest, dancing and singing, is the most attractive. The word 'rangali' means colorful and signifies the festival of merriment and joy. This particular form of the bihu is celebrated in the month of Bohag in the Assamese calendar. The dancers and singers wear Assamese garments such as mekhela-chaddar for girls and dhoti-shirts for boys, for the performance. The use of phoolam gamosa, the traditional Assamese hand-woven towel, is a must during the bihu celebration.
The bihu dance welcomes the season of spring and the instinct of love-making between young boys and girls. Some of the traditional instruments used in it are the dhol, pepa, gogana, taal, and bahin.
Borgeet - Borgeet is a devotional form of music composed by Shankar Deva and Madhav Dev, and is a part of the Vaishnavism propagated by them. The music is based on the leelas of Vishnu (Lord  Krishna in Hindu mythology), and is composed in different ragas and rhythms such as Asowary, Rupak etc. This form has its own flavour and rules of performance that are quite distinct from the School of Indian classical music.
Nadu Bhangi - This is yet another dance form based on Hindu mythology and created by Shankar Deva. It is an enactment of episodes from Lord Krishna's life, with special reference to the instances when he suppressed the ego of Kalia Naga and gave a new birth to his companions who had been affected by the poisonous water of the Kalika Lake.
Lok Geet - These are essentially folk songs popular in a particular region. Although there are many forms of folk singing in Assam that have been prevailing since centuries, each one uses its own kind of instruments and has its own distinctive quality. Generally one can term the folk music of
'Upper Assam' kamrupia and that of 'Lower Assam' as Goalporia lok geet.
Zhumura Nritya - This is a dance form created by Madhav Dev, a follower of Shankar Deva, who contributed hugely to Vaishnava culture in Assam. The zhumura nritya is based on the raas leela of lord Krishna in Vrindavan.
Diha Naam - This is a traditional form of singing, popular in the upper regions of Assam. Although it is a part of the Vaishnava culture and is imbued with a devotional quality, it is different from the borgeet. In these songs devotees worship god and pray to him for love and prosperity. Some of the instruments used in these performances are the taal, nagara, khol and dotara.
Sali Nritya - The sali nritya is a dance form from within the Satrya culture and created by Shankar Deva. It is based on the mood of the peacock when he finally sees the clouds in the sky after a hot summer season. The movements of the dance are inspired by and derived from the movements of
the peacock.
Lawanu Churi - This dance form was composed by Madhav Dev and is based on the early part of Lord Krishna's life when he used to steal butter from the houses in Vrindavan.

Artists:
Nilomoni Bora, Nandeswar Gayan, Ranju Bora, Chandra Bora, Dilip Bhuyan, Dwipen Bora, Mrinal Bora, Snigdha Bora, Pranami Bora, Trishmita Bora, Maitrayee Khargharia, Anurag Dutta, Swapna Bora, Rimpi Misra, Pompi Bora, Jhahnavi Bora, Parishnita Bora, Jhahnovi Devi, Moushami Bora, Purnima Barkakoti, Mahabeer Seal (Group Leader).

Contact:
Bishnu Jyoti Sangeet : Kenduguri, Hatibaruahgaon Distt. Jorhat Assam,
Mr. Biplob Borkakoti Ph. 09871251837, (D) 09435021983

* Programme subject to change

Venue: NSD Premises Bahawalpur House, Bhagwandas Road, ND-1
Enquiry: 011-23389054 (23389402, 23382821 Ext. 37)