Assam: 7,000 women perform devotional recital, attempt to enter record books

Guwahati, Aug 25 (PTI) Seven thousand women came together in Assam’s Barpeta district to perform ‘Thiyanam’, a Vaishnavite devotional recital, seeking to enter the record books as the largest ensemble for such a performance, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

The recital was conducted at Howly on Sunday, on the eve of ‘tirobhav tithi’ (death anniversary) of Srimanta Sankardeva, the Vaishnavite saint-scholar on whose compositions the ‘Thiyanam’ is mostly performed.

“On the eve of the auspicious Tirobhav Tithi of Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardev, 7,000 mothers in Howly performed the Thiyanam, a powerful reflection of the Sankari-Sattriya culture,” Sarma said in a post on X.

Participants from various parts, including Guwahati, Darrang, Udalguri, Nalbari, Barpeta, Bongaigaon, Goalpara, Kokrajhar, Rowta and Mazbat, came together for the performance, organised by the Howly Raas Celebration Committee.

The performance seeks to enter the record books, including the Assam Book of Records, as the largest such recital of ‘Thiyanam’, officials said.

The ‘Thiyanam’ or ‘Thiyonam’ is usually performed on the compositions of Vaishnavite saints Srimanta Sankardeva and Madhabdeva. PTI SSG SSG RBT