Congress leader Rahul Gandhi donned a mask of ‘Bajrang Bali’ and held a ‘gada’ (mace) in his hand to pose with a few artists amid the ongoing ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ on Friday. A video shared by news agency ANI showed Gandhi participating “in a cultural program during his visit to Sri Sri Auniati Satra in Majuli in Assam”.
“At the request of the people, he wore the mask of ‘Bajrang Bali’ and held a mace in his hand,” ANI reported while tweeting the video that shows Gandhi donning a mask and holding a mace in his hand.
Meanwhile, the Assam Congress tweeted images showing the Congress MP posing with a few people wearing the same ‘Bajrang Bali’ masks. “Rahul Gandhi Ji promoting the traditional art of mask making, celebrating neo-vaishnavite culture of Majuli, celebrating #UnityInDiversity,” the post read.
These video and pictures of Rahul Gandhi’s “Bajrang Bali” avatar emerged as the nation awaits the inauguration of the grand Ayodhya Ram temple on January 22. The incident took place during the party’s ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’, which was on its second day in Assam.
Earlier in the day, Rahul Gandhi sought blessings at the 300-year-old Sri Sri Auniati Satra, a Vaishnavite monastery, in the Majuli district. He dressed in a white ‘dhoti’ with an Assamese traditional scarf called ‘gamosa’ around his neck as he visited the Satra and interacted with the head, Satradikar Pitambar Dev Goswami.
Later, at a press conference, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi was quoted by ANI as saying, “Rahul ji invited the honorable Satradhikar to spare some time for an interaction when he next visits New Delhi. This will allow him to gain a better understanding of the Satra and its culture.”
Gogoi further mentioned that Goswami extended an invitation to Gandhi to witness ‘Bhaona’. It is a traditional form of entertainment created by Vaishnavite scholar Srimanta Sankardeva, which was being performed in the Satra in the evening as part of a special programme.
During his visit, Gandhi enjoyed a short performance by a young boy in the Satra, who enacted part of a Bhaona. As he travelled through Majuli, the Congress MP took photos with artists wearing traditional masks and even donned a mask of Hanuman, complete with a ‘gada’ (mace) in his hand.
Majuli, the largest inhabited river island in the world, is located amidst the Brahmaputra and is renowned as a site of Vaishnavite learning.
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