Guwahati (Assam) [India], February 23 (ANI): Assam is gearing up to showcase its vibrant tea garden community to the world. 61 Heads of Missions, dignitaries, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will witness the mega Jhumoir event in Guwahati.

But why is Assam showcasing this folk dance to the world? The mega Jhumoir event is part of a larger celebration, which includes the Advantage Assam 2.0 summit.

The event will feature over 8,000 Jhumoir artists from across Assam, performing at Guwahati's Sarusajai Stadium. The state government will also provide financial support to the artists and tea gardens to promote the dance form.

The chief minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, confirmed at a press conference on Sunday the total number of Heads of Missions who will be in Guwahati for these two events.

They will land at Jorhat airport this evening and then travel to Kaziranga National Park. On Monday morning, they will enjoy the flora and fauna of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, which is located in the upper Assam districts, some 250 kilometres from the state capital city of Guwahati.

The idea behind taking the heads of missions to Kaziranga was to promote Assam's immense tourism potential.

From Kaziranga, they will move towards Guwahati to attend the Jhumoir event on Monday evening and the Advantage Assam 2.0 summit starting Tuesday. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has facilitated this visit of the Heads of Missions.

Jhumoir is an integral part of Assam's tea garden workers and Adivasi community, and its origins date back to the early 19th century when tea plantations were established in the region.

The dance form was a way for workers to express joy and camaraderie after a long day of laborious work in the tea gardens. Today, Jhumoir is synonymous with the identity of Assam's vibrant tea community.

'...do you know it has a connection to your cup of tea,' Chief Minister Sarma wrote on X, as he explained the dance form and why his government is showcasing this folk dance to the world stage.

The Assam government is celebrating the state's tea industry, which has turned 200 years old. The industry provides livelihoods to millions and is renowned globally for its richly coloured and aromatic tea.

As the chief minister put it in his X timeline, the origins of Jhumoir began as an expression of joy and camaraderie after a long day of laborious back-breaking work in tea gardens.

'What was once meant to uplift the spirits of workers is now synonymous with the identity of our vibrant Chai Samuday,' he wrote.

This energetic dance is performed by both men and women who are dressed in traditional ornaments like sitapati, hasuli, jhumka, chandhar and payeri. Its catchy accompanying music comes from dhol, madal, dhamsa and bamboo flute.

'Assam's tea community has long been trapped in poverty and neglect. Generations after generations have not escaped this cycle of tough labour work. We want to end this and celebrate their glorious culture in a way not seen before,' Chief Minister Sarma further wrote.

To uplift the socio-economic conditions of tea garden workers, the state government is building new schools and roads and providing affirmative action in colleges and recruitment.

'...we are leaving no stone unturned to ensure that their next generation becomes doctors, engineers and civil servants,' the chief minister concluded.

Assam's rich cultural heritage is not limited to Jhumoir. The state government has organized similar mega-dance event -- a Bihu performance that entered the Guinness World Record in 2023. Next, they plan to showcase the Bagurumba dance, a traditional dance form of the Bodo community.

Over 11,000 artists performed Bihu in the presence of the prime minister.

This time, arrangements are being made to ensure that the mega Jhumur is broadcast on LED screens or through other modes at all 800 big tea estates across the state so that the village folks can witness this historic event.

Over 8,000 Jhumoir artists will demonstrate their folk dance form at Guwahati's Sarusajai Stadium. These artists have been drawn from all the tea-growing districts of Assam. Initially, they had rehearsal sessions at the Assembly Constituency level, then the District, and finally at the Guwahati venue for the past three days.

Following the review of preparations at Sarusajai the chief minister yesterday announced that his government will provide Rs 25,000 to each artist and an additional Rs 25,000 for every tea garden to procure Jhumoir-related articles and instruments.

The tea community in Assam, which comprises a sizeable portion of the state's population, plays a critical role in dozens of Assembly constituencies.

Assam produces nearly 700 million kg of tea annually, accounting for around half of India's overall tea production.

Assam is celebrating the plantation industry's reaching a crucial milestone of 200 years. Tea estates around plantations, hitherto unexplored and unpicked, in the state's upper reaches first came to be established in 1823.

Renowned globally for its richly coloured and aromatic tea, Assam's tea industry, which is the country's largest, provides livelihoods to millions, with many others directly or indirectly dependent on the plantations. The state is famed for both Orthodox as well as the CTC (Crush, Tear, Curl) varieties of tea.

In 1823, Robert Bruce discovered wild tea plants growing in the upper Brahmaputra Valley. Subsequently, the government started a tea garden in the erstwhile Lakhimpur district in 1833.

India as a whole contributes 23 per cent to the global tea output and employs around 1.2 million workers in the tea plantation sector. 50 per cent of what India contributes comes from Assam tea gardens. (ANI)