Huchori Performance by an Assamese group of boys @ Rongali Bihu Festival, IGNCA, Delhi

Huchori - Huchori is an integral part of Rongali Bihu. Choral parties of singers and dancers moving from house to house is a salient feature of Rongali Bihu !!!

Huchori is a regular thing which happens during the Rongali Bihu and it is a custom of community singing in which a group of singers visit each home in their locality and sing songs containing spiritual and moral values. The group comprises only of men and the event coincides with the Assamese New Year. The group visits every house irrespective of caste, creed and social status of the householder.

During the reign of the Ahom dynasty, Huchori singing was a usual custom in the royal palaces. At a later period it began to be practiced by common people.

A group of boys performed Hichuri on the stage and it was really interesting to see overall getup of folks in the groups and it seems elder folks also join this group to better guide the younger ones :) .. Although I was not able to make any sense out of the songs or dialogs, but it looked very interesting !!!

Huchori group begins its procession from the village headman’s house and continue towards the other houses in the vicinity. The procession proceeds amidst chanting, singing and dancing. Visiting each house in the village, the group accepts some donation from the residents. The singers usually carry a staff, a bag, an umbrella and a lamp while roaming around the village. Their instruments comprise of dhol (drum), taal (cymbals), pepa (horn pipe) and taka (bamboo clapper).

This seems more like Lohri in North India.. Specially in Punjab and Himachal Pradesh !!! On Lohri week, boys make some groups and start visiting various houses in the village/town and sing different Lohri Songs... After that every house master offer some stuff like wheat, corns or rice.. and now people prefer to give money.. as it's convenient for both parties :)

Huchori Performance at Rongali Bihu Festival in Indira Gandhi National Center of Arts was amazing and the energy level of folks performing was commendable !!!

Here is one of the most enthusiatic performer of Hichori Dance who was handling dhol during Riganli Bihu in Delhi !!!

Notice the dressed of all these folks and they have taken proper care of clothings they should use !!!

Although I was not able to make out anything as they were singing in Assamese but their expressions were telling a story !! Here a couple is presenting something for god and praying for good !

This whole event was organized by Assam association Delhi in partnership with Indira gandhi National Center of Art and it was wonderful experience at Rongali bihu festival !!!

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