Priyanka Saharia

Majuli, 30 Jan

Amidst the mighty Brahmaputra lies Majuli, the world’s largest river island, steeped in history, beauty, and the teachings of 15th-16th century Vaishnavite gurus Srimanta Sankardev and Sri Sri Madhavdev. This serene island hosts the Mongeet event, in unique two-horned buffalo-shaped cultural hub, ‘Dekasang’. This iconic venue is where the ‘Mongeet’ festival an extraordinary celebration of art and music takes place.

Mongeet, which translates to ‘Soul Music,’ was founded six years ago through the vision of actor-director-turned-entrepreneur, Kaushik Nath and renowned Bollywood actor Adil Hussain, both hailing from Assam. This is an effort to uphold Assam’s rich musical heritage, dedicated to preserving its timeless beauty and maintaining the high artistic standards set by the legendary maestros who defined its legacy, epitomised by spiritual luminaries like Srimanta Sankardeva, Sri sri Madhavdeva, and creators Kalaguru Bishnu Prasad Rabha, Rupkonwar Jyoti Prasad Agarwala and Dr Bhupen Hazarika—pioneers who brought Assamese music to global recognition.

“We wanted to create a platform for young artists to hone their craft while staying rooted in meaningful and soulful music,” Kaushik Nath told Salar News. “Artists can submit their compositions, and the best are selected to receive training from distinguished mentors like actor Adil Hussain, music producer Dhrubajyoti Phukan, singer Papon, singer & composer Joi Barua, guitarist Kalyan Baruah, and music composer Anurag Saikia and many more.

For Kaushik, Mongeet is deeply personal. He founded the Raul Kaushik Foundation in honour of his son, who tragically passed away in 2018 while saving another boy from drowning. “My son loved music, and through this initiative, I want to give back to my motherland,” he said.

Adil Hussain calls Mongeet ‘a dream come true’
“When we grew up, we lacked access to great mentors,” Adil Hussain told Salar News. This is a unique pedagogical platform where painters, sculptors, and musicians are taught together under one roof. Through Mongeet, we aim to nourish these creative minds and help them remain true to their art, unaffected by societal pressures or fleeting trends. We want to encourage them to focus on their inner voice and not get distracted by superficial metrics of likes and views.”

International collaboration and events

This year, Mongeet collaborated with the Lithuanian Embassy, inviting renowned watercolor artist Egle Lipaikeita. The festival began on 10 January with ‘Montulika’ and ‘Monmrittika’, events focused on art and sculpture, drawing 46 participants from Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. On 14 January, the music training sessions commenced, led by masters such as Upen Chandra Borbayan, Joi Barua, Dutch tablist Heiko Dijker, singer Tarali Sarma, Saswati Phukan and others. In 2023, renowned Baul singer Parvathy Baul also performed at the event.

Fostering the next generation of artists

“This initiative bridges the gap between young talent and seasoned professionals,” Joi Barua told Salar News. “It’s a learning curve for both sides—a space where ideas and experiences flow freely. For us mentors, it’s a chance to stay connected to the ground reality and understand the evolving mindset of contemporary Assam. For the participants, it’s an opportunity to learn from those who’ve navigated the challenges of an artistic journey.”

"Assam and the entire Northeast are culturally rich and diverse, home to many extraordinary creative minds who aspire to pursue performing arts. However, they sometimes face numerous struggles along the way. That’s why we thought—why not share our experiences to help them become more informed and navigate their own artistic journeys?” said double National Film Award winner Utpal Borpujari to Salar News.

“At Mongeet, aspiring artists can gain insights and inspiration from luminaries, learning qualities that will help them shape their own art. Another significant chapter of Mongeet is ‘Monkobita’, meaning 'soul poetry,' where we celebrate legendary Assamese poets whose works date back 50 or even 100 years,” he added.

While answering one-on-one questions from participants, Kaushik Nath recalled Papon emphasising how Mongeet provides young artists with unprecedented access to legends. "When I started my career, it took me a decade to meet National Film Award-winning musician Dhrubajyoti Phukan. Here, participants can interact closely with such stalwarts from day one. It’s an incredible blessing" said Papon.

Over the past six years, Mongeet has built a thriving community of exceptional talent, inspiring a new generation of Assamese artists to dream big while staying connected to their cultural roots. Kaushik Nath also acknowledged the contributions of his core team members, including Secretary Krishna Barooah and Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, whose dedicated efforts have been instrumental in Mongeet's success.