Assam Day 2026
The United Assam Association of the UK celebrated Assam Day 2026 on 29-30 August at Eastwood Hall Hotel in Nottingham. The one-and-a-half-day event featured a wide range of programmes:
Saturday 29th of August -
Hall and stage Set-up and other arrangements co-ordinated by trustees.Registration - 2.30 pm onwards. Hotel check in, Meet, and greet, Light snacks with tea, coffee, and soft drinks.
5.30 pm - Evening Cultural show Performed by local artists and guest artists followed by dinner and disco.
Sunday 30th of August -
The day’s packed schedule started with quiz programme, children’s sports, Lunch break, showing of Assamese film ‘Chupa Chupi’, and the evening cultural programme in two parts. It started with a devotional traditional Assamese dance and Bhaona followed by guest artists’ performance. Assamese singer Anamika Chowdhury performed on both evenings. During the Gala Dinner, which intervened between the two parts of the cultural programme, various fund-raising activities took place. The UK-based Indo-Assamese band Gravity, started the second half with a newly composed chorus, performed jointly with the UAAUK singers, as a tribute in memory of the recent devastating floods, which swept away villages, displaced families, and claimed more than one hundred lives in Assam.
Important activities -
Alongside these cultural activities, UAAUK members have been raising donations for people affected by flooding in Assam through initiatives that began before Assam Day and continued afterwards. Notable individual efforts included Christine Mahanta’s 10-mile walk and Dr Neeraj Sharma’s half marathon. While during the Assam Day, Guest artist Anamika Chowdhury promised to donate her entire professional fee for her performance during this Assam Day and UK-based Assamese painter Mrs Runima Kakati donated all the proceeds from the weekend auction of one of her paintings to the flood-relief fund.
Assamese Community members and the wider public have donated generously to the flood-relief fund before, during and after the Assam Day weekend. Once collected the UAAUK would send the raised money to the responsible organisations in Assam for the benefit of the flood effected victims.
The performance of Ram Bijoy, the Bhaona, was the highlight of the Assam Day 2026 cultural programme. With this performance, UAAUK made history as the first organisation outside India to stage this Ankiya Naat, written by Srimanta Sankaradeva in the Brajavali language. The Assamese community is immensely proud that first- and second-generation members of the non-resident Assamese diaspora performed together in the Bhaona. Featuring traditional, colourful costumes, the Ankiya Naat offered significant historical, cultural, and educational value for both the audience and the artists. In addition to performing as Rama, Mrs Madhurima Choudhury, a versatile artist in Assam’s cultural community, carefully planned, taught, and directed the entire Bhaona project. Her dedication and hard work enabled first- and second-generation Assamese community members, as well as people from other communities, to watch, enjoy, and learn about this unique Assamese cultural tradition, which began almost five centuries ago.
It is worth mentioning the names of the members who gave their time voluntarily and travelled hundreds of miles from various parts of the UK and stayed overnight when necessary to practice and to take part in the Bhaona. They are Chinu Kishore, Gaurav Goswami, Dwijen Baruah, Gitika Saikia, Madhusmita Borgohain, Junmoni Dutta, Poronita Kakoti, Fiona Goswami, Plabita Mahanta, Smita Goswami, Suzanna Sekhar, Deetima Gayan, Himanshu Sekhar, Partha Borbora, Ifran Bora, Shyam Saikia, Ariyan Manarkattu, Nripen Barkataki, Kishore Jukunta, Pratim Chaudhury, Soma Goswami and Awon Saikia. In addition to the role mentioned above, Madhurima Choudhury also took the leading role of ‘Rama’ in the Bhaona. Mrs Chinu Kishore and Kishore Jukunta also need special mentioning for their logistical support with the initial Bhaona preparation. It is important to mention the names of Dhiraj Mahanta, Satish Mahanta and Christine Mahanta, though not taking part in the act itself, without their logistical help and support with the practice, the ultimate presentation of this colourful and successful Bhaona would have been all but impossible.
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