Photo Courtesy: nenow
Guwahati: Organizers in Doomdooma are prepping for the 123rd Durga Puja at the Azad Road site in the Tinsukia district. The Doomdooma Akhamiya Puja and Natya Mandir Samiti plans to run its festivities from October 16 to 21. They keep a clean record. This committee ended all animal and bird sacrifices nearly 70 years ago. That choice remains a core part of their identity today.
The committee discussed their plans with reporters this past Wednesday. They hope to win the Sarada Devi Memorial Award for the fourth time after taking the prize home last year. Evenings have been busy since October 10. Religious events have drawn large crowds to the venue since Mahalaya.
Entertainment includes the Kamrupiya Dhuliya group from Kaihati. Locals will compete in conch-shell blowing, uruli, Gosani naam, and aarti. Beyond the religion, the venue has deep ties to theater history. In 1933, Abhinayacharya Brajanath Sarma used the site to debut co-acting in Assamese theatre. The committee noted, "The annual Durga Puja also serves as a meeting point for people originally from Doomdooma who now reside in other places."
Events used to feature full-length historical plays on Maha Ashtami and Maha Navami. These performances stopped about 40 years ago as the festival focus changed. Now, the puja acts as a hub for scattered residents to keep their community identity alive.
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