Assam: Book released on Moghai Ojha and IPTA’s Relationship at Guwahati Press Club

A book was released on the great late folk Artist Moghai Ojha and Indian People’s Theatre Association’s (IPTA) relationship on 15 March commemorating the 44th death anniversary of Ojha.

 The book was formally released at Guwahati Press club where the great folk artist and singer Sudishna Sarma attended the event.

The 'Moghai Ojha Kalaksheytra Asom' and the publishing organisation jointly organised a celebration for the release of the book "Ganashilpi Moghai Ojha and the Bharatiya Gananatya Sangha," jointly edited by Dr. Paramananda Mazumder and Dr. Jayanta Madhab Dutta and published by Bedakantha.

 During the releasing of the Book Sudakshina Sharma recalled her time with the late Dhol-magician and said that she met the wonderful folk-artist Moghai Ojha during the uproar of the Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA) where he had come to perform drums.

Maghai ojha, who is known as the Dhol-magician attended the IPTA's third provincial conference, which was also attended by national-level contemporary artists such as Balraj Sahni, Hemant Mukherjee, AmarSheikh, Debabrata Biswas, Salil Chaudhury, and others.  Hemanga Biswas, Bishnu Prasad Rabha, BhupenHazarika, Raghunath Choudhary, Brajen Baruah, and others from the Assam chapter of the organisation also attended.

"The late great folk singer taught me many a bihu song too flavoured with the taste of rural life as well as the traditions of the enriched Assamese society," she continued.

Loknath Goswami, a well-known folk performer from the state who assisted Moghai Ojha throughout the Gana Natya Sangha's operations, was a special guest at the event.

He remembered the exchange of letters between Hemang Biswas and Moghai Ojha during the latter's final years as he deliberated.