Rare evening of Vedic Poetry Recitation enchants Tezpur

Tezpur: Tezpur witnessed a unique cultural event with ‘Vedic Resonance,’ an evening of Vedic poetry recitation and Sanskrit music, held at the Baliram Lahkar Hall of the Asomiya Club. Organized under the banner of ‘Manan,’ the program titled ‘Naad-Ninaad-Anunaad: Noisha Kabitar Mantradhani’ (Nocturnal poetic chanting of Mantras’ marked the first such presentation outside academic circles in Assam, offering a meditative and spiritually uplifting experience for a discerning audience. Renowned artist and elocutionist Bhupen Chakraborty, known for his lifelong dedication to the art of recitation, and Ranjan Kumar Bezbaruah, a nationally acclaimed Sanskrit vocalist, headlined the evening. The program opened with a ceremonial lamp lighting by Dr. Biren Das, Controller of Examinations, Tezpur University, and social worker Anjali Kalita, while All India Radio Tezpur’s Mallika Dutta introduced the artists. Chakraborty reflected on the unique qualities of Vedic poetry, describing its meters, musicality, and resonance as a vibrant expression of the ‘substance of reality.’ Through shrutis, slokas, samhitas, and mantras, he crafted a mesmerizing recitation, calling the Vedas the “tree of knowledge” and a creation rooted in this land. Bezbaruah, accompanied by musician Mukul Bora and singer Mayukhi Bezbaruah, captivated listeners with mantras from the Rigveda and Atharvaveda, verses from Kalidasa’s Meghaduta, and Sanskrit renditions of Dr. Bhupen Hazarika’s ‘Snehei Amar Xata Xrawanor’ and Rupkonwar Jyotiprasad Agarwala’s ‘Jano Jano Jano.’ The event held at the efforts of Hemanta Lahkar, Tezpur Sahitya Sabha President Dhrubajyoti Das, Bikram Kalita,Jayshree Bhuyan and others, concluded with reflections from poet Pranab Kumar Barman, who highlighted the enduring relevance of Sanskrit. He cited a village in Karnataka where daily life speech, study, and song continues entirely in Sanskrit, affirming the language’s living heritage. ‘Vedic Resonance’ left Tezpur audiences spellbound, blending poetry, music, and spirituality in a first-of-its-kind cultural experience.