NOI Studio had the first live evening with the warmth of a beautiful Sitar evening by the amazing Dipty Sharma. The performance by this acclaimed artist from Jorhat touched us. We were so honoured and blessed to have had the presence of the artistic community of Jorhat, besides our NOI centre family.
Happy to share that our NOI Moina Parijat started off beautifully on 22nd November 2020. Sharing some moments of our children with members Dr Karuna Kanta Sharma lighting the lamp, Mr. Pavitra Saikia, Ms Purosmita Bordoloi and others. This will continue every Sunday at 9 am. If you wish to teach or facilitate something for our children please write to us or call us at the details provided in the contact page
From 16th century onwards, Neo-Vaishnavism rose in the India state of Assam under the Vaishnava reformer Sankaradeva. And with it, manuscript painting flourished too! But over the years, many of the old manuscripts got damaged and the art declined. Reasons being – decline of the Ahom dynasty, Moamoria rebellion, Burmese and British occupations, apathy of the public, natural calamities and proliferation of the printing press. Currently, this tradition is carried on by very few practitioners.
It is a kind of Tokari. It is made out of a wooden bottle gourd shell. The lower portion of the shell is covered with a goat’s hide. A Muga string is connected at the middle of the hide. The other end of the string is attached with a cloth ball or bamboo knob. The end of the string is held with the left hand and operated with the stroke of the fore finger of the right hand. It is accompanied with devotional songs.
An Audiophone instrument, it is made of a small bamboo spike about 3 feet long to be grasped with the hand. Small calibres are cut at half inch intervals. It is dragged across a cowrie shell holding in the left-hand palm to emit musical sound in accompaniment with devotional songs. In the Hajong tribe the cowrie is substituted with entada (Ghila).
It is made from a hollow bottle gourd attached to a bifurcated bamboo cylinder closed at one end. The bottom of the gourd shell is covered with a thin hide fitted to the centre with a Muga thread extended upto a peg near the node of the bamboo handle. The thread is operated with the forefinger of the right hand while the left hand pressing off and on the bamboo frame toward the node. It is used in almost every region of Assam. The instrument is accompanied with Dihanaam, Dehbisaror Geet and other devotional songs
Daskathiya (Audiphone) is made from two bamboo strips about 8 inches long and 2 inches wide. It is accompanied with devotional songs of the Tea-tribes
Rogoidang (Audiphone) is one of those instruments of the Tea-Tribes that are obsolete now. It is made of the bigger size of the Dolu-Bah or from Bhuluka-Bah (both are varieties of locally found bamboo in Assam). It is used in all festivities, Song and Dance and as an accompaniment to the leading instrument called Madol.
Kichokbenu (Cordophone) is a bamboo cylinder with nodes at both ends stripped off it’s outer rind. A bridge is passed across the smooth portion and is played with a bow like a herp. It is now extinct.
