GUWAHATI, Feb 24: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today witnessed history being created at the Sarusajai Stadium in Guwahati once again as over 8,800 performers danced to the beats of the madal, the traditional drum of the tea community, at the Jhumoir Binandini event to etch their names in records books.
The atmosphere at Sarusajai Stadium was electric for the whole day as the dancers and drummers coming from nook and corners of the State waited in anticipation before getting their act together in front of an audience that also included the Heads of Missions of 61 countries besides other delegations who arrived in Guwahati for the two-day Advantage Assam 2.0 Infrastructure and Investment Summit which will officially get under way at the Khanapara Veterinary College playground tomorrow (Feb 25).
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Prime Minister Modi thanked the Assam Government and Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma in particular for organising the event and heaped praises on Chief Minister Dr Sarma calling him “a very energetic chief minister”.
Prime Minister Modi recalled the day when on April 13, 2023, more than 11,000 dancers and other artistes performed the Bihu dance to create a Guinness record, taking Bihu — the pride of every Assamese — to the global stage.
Calling himself an ambassador of the Northeast, a region he said craved for attention in the past, Prime Minister Modi once again recalled his visit to Kaziranga in March last year when he stayed at the world famous wildlife sanctuary for a night and also undertook an elephant and a jeep safari inside the national park.
“Every moment of Jhumoir Binandini was pure magic! This was an experience that touched the soul. As we celebrate 200 years of Assam Tea, this programme beautifully merges history, culture and emotion. The culture of the tea tribes, their spirit and their deep connection to the land—it all came alive today. I compliment all the artists who took part in this programme. I bow to the culture and traditions of Assam!,” Prime Minister Modi stated in a post on ‘X’, formerly Twitter.
“I call upon people across India to know more about Jhumoir and the exceptional culture of the tea tribes. Today’s programme will be remembered as a monumental effort in this direction,” Prime Minister Modi stated in another post.
Prime Minister Modi also played the ‘Dhomsa’, a traditional drum played by the tea community during the Jhumoir Binandini event.
Another highlight of the evening was a laser show which left everyone spellbound.
Besides Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma, Assam Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya, Union ministers Dr S Jaishankar, Sarbananda Sonowal, Pabitra Margherita, several ministers of the Assam cabinet and delegates coming for the Advantage Assam 2.0 summit also attended the event.
Earlier in the evening, Prime Minister Modi was received at the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport by Chief Minister Dr Sarma and Governor Acharya.
Prime Minister Modi was welcomed by thousands of people who lined up the streets from the airport to Sarusajai Stadum as he travelled for the Jhumoir Binandini event.
Prime Minister Modi also visited the exhibition organized as part of the Advantage Assam 2.0 summit while he will also attend the inaugural ceremony of the summit at Khanapara in Guwahati tomorrow (Feb 25) before returning to New Delhi.
