A pitha for every mood
Hot or cold, sweet or savoury, sticky or crunchy -- there’s a pitha in every flavour and texture for every mood. Pitha has been a winter-essential for centuries in this region, but urban life rarely has room for this treat. After all, making pitha can be labour-intensive.
Bhapa and chitoi pitha are the two most common types found in city streets, but there are hundreds of other varieties that are as unique in taste as they’re intricate in design.
Jatiya Pitha Utshab is organised to celebrate these traditional treats, and its 13th edition is being held at Sylhet District Stadium’s basketball ground. Typically held at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy in Dhaka, this is the first time the organisers took the fair outside the capital.
Jatiya Pitha Utshab Udjapon Parishad’s president and freedom fighter M Hamid inaugurated the festival on Saturday, where Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen was present as chief guest.
There are 25 stalls from different districts of the country, including Dhaka, Tangail, Rangpur, Mymensingh, and Moulvibazar. Around 300 varieties such as nakshi pitha, malpowa, chandrapuli, rashbhori, lobongolotika and more are available, while the fair is also selling ingredients such as rice flour and different types of jaggery.
The biggest stall of the festival is of a women’s organisation named Grassroots who are displaying and selling around a hundred types of pitha from Sylhet.
Grassroots’ organising secretary Salma Begum said that the festival is a huge success and she is hopeful to see bigger crowds in the next few days.
Nasim Ahmed, who came to the fair with his wife, said the festival is very vibrant and it would attract even more customers if it was publicised more.
Jatiya Pitha Utshab Udjyapan Parishad organised the event with support from the Ministry of Cultural Affairs and in collaboration with Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy.
The festival will be open from 3-8pm every day till January 21 and there will be various performances including poetry recital, dance, music and drama every day, said Rajat Kanti Gupta, member secretary of the divisional committee to organise the festival.
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