Assam made history on Thursday as it set a new Guinness World Record for the largest gathering of dancers and drummers performing the traditional ‘Bihu’ dance and playing the ‘dhol’ at a single venue. The Largest Bihu Dance World Record, along with another, has been set.
The event, witnessed by the Chief Minister of the State of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma and an adjudicator from the Guinness World Records headquarters in London, saw a staggering 11,304 performers showcase their skills and achieve global recognition for this folk dance form.
How over 11,000 dancers came together for one performance
In a remarkable display of cultural prowess, a staggering 11,304 performers took to the stage at a stadium in Guwahati on Thursday to perform Assam’s traditional Bihu dance and set two world records, thus bringing this vibrant dance form to the global stage.
Bihu dance, a popular folk dance across Assam, is performed mainly during Bohag Bihu or Rongali Bihu, a spring festival that marks the Assamese New Year in mid-April.
- The event saw over 7,000 dancers, mostly girls, and more than 3,000 drummers and musicians, selected from every district in the state and trained over the past few weeks, take the stage for a mesmerizing 15-minute performance at the Sarusajai Stadium.
- The performers aimed to set world records in two categories – the largest Bihu dance performance and the largest performance by folk musicians, including traditional instruments such as ‘dhol’, ‘pepa’, ‘gogona’ and ‘toka’.
The Chief Minister announced that they had achieved two world records on the day of the event. He further stated that the following day, 11,000 dancers and musicians would perform Bihu in front of the Prime Minister, thus marking the beginning of their journey to take this traditional dance form to the global stage.
The legacy of the Gamosa
- In December 2022, the central government granted the GI tag to the ‘Gamosa’, which is an emblematic representation of Assam’s culture and identity. This occurred after five years since the initial application was submitted.
- A Geographical Indication (GI) is a label given to agricultural, natural, or manufactured products, handicrafts, and industrial goods that originate from a specific geographic region.
The ‘Gamosa’ is a handcrafted rectangular cotton cloth with red borders, distinctive designs, and motifs. It is a customary practice among Assamese people to present the Gamosa to their elders and guests as a gesture of reverence and respect.
Reports suggest that the expenses for the event were covered by the state’s culture department. The Assam government has taken the lead in registering ‘Bihu’ in the Guinness World Records. Many hundreds of crores were spent on the said project, with each dancer being promised 25K reimbursement for their artistic contribution.
Concluding
The previous record for the largest traditional dance was established in 2015 by 7,700 participants in China. Similarly, the largest musical instrument ensemble record was achieved in India in 2019 by 3,730 individuals.
Today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Guwahati for a day. As per an official cited by PTI, performers will present the ‘Bihu’ dance in front of the Prime Minister. During the event, the Guinness World Record certificates will be presented in the presence of the Prime Minister.