Over 10,000 artistes to stage grand Bagurumba dance in Guwahati during PM Modi's visit

Guwahati, Jan 16 (PTI) The nature-inspired movements of the traditional Bagurumba dance, often likened to the fluttering of butterflies, will come alive in Guwahati on Saturday as more than 10,000 performers stage a grand presentation, showcasing the heritage of the Bodo community, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in attendance.

Titled 'Bagurumba Dwhou 2026', the performance will be held at the Arjun Bhogeswar Baruah Stadium on the first day of Modi's two-day visit to Assam, his second trip to the state in less than a month.

Over 10,000 artistes, including around 8,000 dancers from 81 assembly constituencies across 23 districts, will participate in the event. Final rehearsals were held on Friday evening, with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma reviewing them.

Bagurumba, a folk dance of the Bodo community -- one of Assam’s largest indigenous groups -- is deeply rooted in nature and symbolises blooming flowers and harmony between human life and the natural world.

Performed traditionally by women, with men accompanying them as musicians, the dance features graceful movements imitating butterflies, birds, leaves and flowers.

The Guwahati presentation incorporates the word 'dwhou', meaning wave in the Bodo language, and will be accompanied by songs in Bodo and traditional instruments such as kham, serja, sifung, jatha and japshring.

Closely associated with festivals like Bwisagu, the Bodo New Year, and Domasi, Bagurumba represents peace, fertility, joy and collective harmony.

Preparations involved several Bodo organisations, with 25 experts training 400 master trainers in Guwahati, who then coached the artistes in their respective districts.

State Cultural Affairs Minister Bimal Borah said the event aims to showcase the Bodo community's rich cultural heritage to a global audience.

The state government has organised similar large-scale performances of Bihu and Jhumoir dances over the past two years. PTI SSG SSG SOM