New Delhi [India], December 30 : The Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways (MoPSW), Sarbananda Sonowal, joined Chief Minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma, as the Union Home Minister, Amit Shah inaugurated the Jyoti-Bishnu International Cultural Complex, the biggest such auditorium in the whole of Northeast in Guwahati on Monday.
Named after Assam's cultural icons, Rupkonwar Jyotiprasad Agarwala and Kalaguru Bishnuprasad Rabha, the complex is designed to be one of the largest and most modern performing-arts venues in eastern and northeastern India. With seating for nearly 5,000, it is equipped to host music concerts, theatre productions, film screenings, dance festivals, academic conferences and large cultural conventions.
Speaking at the inauguration, Sarbananda Sonowal said the centre would help position Assam at the heart of the Northeast's cultural economy. "This complex is intended to be a living platform -- one that nurtures young talent, strengthens folk and classical traditions, and connects Assamese creativity with national and international audiences," Sonowal said.
The minister further described Agarwala as a pioneer of modern Assamese culture and the creator of Assam's first feature film, Joymoti, whose work shaped Assamese cinema, music, literature and theatre. Rabha, he said, was a rare polymath -- poet, musician, dancer, revolutionary and social reformer, whose artistic and social contributions continue to inspire & define Assam's cultural identity.
According to Sonowal, the complex reflects a deliberate policy choice to pair cultural preservation with contemporary infrastructure. "It is not only about conserving heritage, but about giving it scale, visibility and continuity," Sarbananda Sonowal said, adding that the venue is expected to encourage cross-disciplinary collaboration and contemporary artistic experimentation.
The centre has been planned as a year-round venue capable of hosting regional, national and international events, positioning Guwahati as a gateway for cultural exchange in the Northeast. Beyond performances, it is expected to support training programmes, residencies and curated festivals that spotlight both traditional and modern forms.
"With the guidance of our dynamic Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji, who views Assam and the Northeast as the nation's Ashtalakshmi, our focus has been to strengthen cultural confidence while expanding opportunity," Sarbananda Sonowal said.
The inauguration of the Jyoti-Bishnu Antarjatik Kala Mandir, Sarbananda Sonowal added, signals a shift from episodic cultural events to institution-building. "This is an investment in Assam's creative future -- one that honours legacy while enabling new voices," Sonowal said.
Shah's presence at the inauguration, Sonowal said, underscored the Centre's recognition of Assam's role as a cultural bridge between India and the wider region. "World-class spaces like this ensure that Assamese art and ideas are not only preserved, but projected with ambition," Sonowal said.