Guwahati, Feb 24: Assam is preparing to celebrate its rich cultural heritage and vibrant tea garden community with a grand Jhumoir dance event in Guwahati. The mega performance, scheduled to take place at Sarusajai Stadium, will be attended by 61 Heads of Missions, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, and other dignitaries. The event is part of the larger Advantage Assam 2.0 summit, designed to highlight the state’s cultural and economic potential on the global stage.
The Jhumoir event will feature over 8,000 artists from Assam’s tea-growing regions, who will showcase this traditional folk dance, which has been an integral part of the tea garden workers and Adivasi communities for centuries. Initially a means for workers to express joy and unity after long days of labor, Jhumoir has now become a symbol of Assam’s vibrant tea culture. The state government is providing financial support to both the artists and tea gardens to promote this dance form.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma explained that the Jhumoir dance has deep connections to Assam’s 200-year-old tea industry, which supports millions of livelihoods. As part of this initiative, each artist will receive Rs 25,000, and additional funds will be allocated to tea gardens for procuring instruments and materials for the event.
The Heads of Missions will also visit Kaziranga National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, to explore Assam’s tourism potential before attending the Jhumoir performance and the Advantage Assam summit. This initiative is aimed at promoting Assam’s natural beauty and cultural diversity on the global stage.
Assam’s tea industry, which produces nearly 700 million kg of tea annually and accounts for half of India’s total production, is a critical part of the state’s economy. The government is also focusing on improving the socio-economic conditions of tea garden workers by investing in infrastructure, education, and job opportunities for future generations.
In addition to Jhumoir, Assam has previously set a Guinness World Record with a Bihu dance performance and plans to showcase the Bagurumba dance from the Bodo community. The Jhumoir performance will be broadcast across 800 tea estates in the state, allowing even rural communities to witness this historic event.
