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Videos and snippets of a Bagurumba event from Assam shared across the Prime Minister’s official social media platforms have amassed over 200 million views
Prime Minister Narendra Modi witnessed a breathtaking display of cultural soft power at the Sarusajai Stadium in Guwahati, where more than 10,000 Bodo artistes performed the ‘Bagurumba Dwhou’ (the Bagurumba Wave). Representational photo: Narendra Modi/X
The traditional Bagurumba dance of Assam’s Bodo community has undergone a historic transformation, evolving from a local heritage treasure to a global digital phenomenon. On January 18, Prime Minister Narendra Modi witnessed a breathtaking display of cultural soft power at the Sarusajai Stadium in Guwahati, where more than 10,000 Bodo artistes performed the “Bagurumba Dwhou” (the Bagurumba Wave). This mega-event, aimed at securing a Guinness World Record, has catapulted the indigenous art form into the international spotlight, with global search interest for the dance reaching its highest peak in more than two decades.
The “Modi Effect” on regional culture is most evident in the digital footprint of the performance. Videos and snippets of the Bagurumba dance shared across the Prime Minister’s official social media platforms—including X, Instagram, and YouTube—have collectively amassed over 200 million views. This massive reach has introduced a worldwide audience to the intricate “Butterfly Dance”, so named for the graceful, fluttering movements of the dancers’ shawls, which mimic the flora and fauna of the Brahmaputra Valley. By leveraging his massive online following, the Prime Minister has successfully bypassed traditional cultural gatekeepers, ensuring that the Bodo community’s identity is celebrated far beyond the borders of Northeast India.
The performance itself was a masterclass in scale and synchronisation. Clad in vibrant yellow and red “Dokhna” and “Jwmgra” attire, 10,000 women moved in perfect rhythm to the traditional beats of the “Kham” (drum), “Sifung” (flute), and “Serja” (violin). This display of “Bagurumba Dwhou 2026″ follows a series of similar cultural interventions by the government, including the record-breaking Bihu and Jhumur performances in previous years. Prime Minister Modi’s presence at the event underscored a broader strategic push to integrate the Northeast’s rich tribal heritage into India’s mainstream national narrative, rebranding the region as a hub of cultural tourism and peace.
For the Bodo community, this global recognition is not merely an artistic achievement but a symbol of the lasting peace in Bodoland following the 2020 Peace Accord. The Prime Minister noted that the dance reflects the “soul of Bharat”, where tradition and modernity coexist seamlessly. As international search queries for Bagurumba continue to rise, the event stands as a testament to how traditional folk forms can thrive in the age of viral content, provided they are given a platform of such monumental scale.
January 20, 2026, 18:03 IST
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