Feature

Behind the panorama of
Mongol Shobhajatra

Taslima Rawshan Tinni

BAISHAKHI MELA is the mirror of our traditional culture. Baishakhi fair is arranged in many parts of the country. Traditional handicraft, toys as well as food and sweets are sold at these fairs. In these fairs Jatra, Pala gan, jari gan, baul, marfati, murshidi, bhatiali songs, narrative plays, puppet shows take place.

The Phenomenon of Pahela Baisakh program has become popular in the cities too. From very early in the morning till night the New Year day is celebrated all over the country. Men in Kurtas and women in white saree with red border adorn themselves and make the surroundings so colourful that it just looks like a blend of amazing colors.

In Dhaka University, the environment becomes euphoric! A large number of people gather there to celebrate the Bengali New Year. Various Institutes and Departments of the university organise cultural programmes.

Behind the making of such an exquisite colorful day there is a lot of hard work and immense creative skills of the students and teachers of the Institute of Fine Arts. To make the programme successful and more vibrant they try heart and soul for several days. With patience and with lots of enjoyment the students all day and night engage in designing and preparing various objects. They make creative masks and give an artistic touch of colour on the roads and the campus wall of the DU campus.

The night before the New Year, the Charukola and its environment was eye catching. A number of students were engaged in making big motifs like big tepa putul, rickshaw, a big owl; some were giving the ancient Bengali touch on the wall, making the colourful masks, clay pots. A room was filled up with multi-colored masks to be used the following day. There was an opportunity for the general people to visit the place and to buy the masks, paintings, t-shirts and decorative clay pots. The funds for celebrating the Pahela Baishakh in Charukola were collected from the sale proceeds of these handmade artifacts.

In the morning of Pahela Baishakh students and teachers of the Institute of Fine arts took out the famous Mongal Shobhajatra (procession) and paraded round the campus. People of different ages also participated in the shobhajatra. Painted masks, big owls, big tepa putuls, big rickshaws made by the students made the procession stunning. Other Bengali cultural items like the tomtom, baul singers, rural bride carried by a palki and bridegroom, fisherman, added extra flavour to this. The theme of the shobhajatra was to seek the blessings of all. The Institute of Fine Arts organized several cultural activities to welcome the Pahela Baisakh 1415 including cultural functions, short films, jatra etc. I hope the colour of delight remains in everyone's life all over the year. Shubho Noboborsho!

(Student of Dept. of AIS, DU, all photos by the writer)