A Place to Meet

Afternoon hangouts at Rabindro Shorobor. Photo: Prabir Das

Besides cultural performances the aphitheatre is also a popular place for people to sit and chat. Photo: Prabir Das

Bangladesh is one of the richest countries in the world if you are liberal enough to consider art and culture an asset. Our millennium-long history is testimony to this land being the cradle of civilisation. We can see the signs of our buried glory in Wari Bateshwar, in the deserted Panam city of Shonargaon, in the ancient abandoned university-monastery of Paharpur and so on.
In Dhaka there are some places where our lost culture has been rekindled, and one of them is the Rabindra Shorobor. According to historian Hakim Habibur Rahman, Dhanmondi Lake was once a tributary of the Karwan Bazar River merged into the Turag River. Now there is no sign of the Karwan Bazar river and with the development of Dhanmondi residential area the once river channel is now reduced to a tiny lake. The lake is stretched from Jigatola to Road 27 of Dhanmondi. Despite of its diminutive state, the lake with its picturesque greenery, walkways, open spaces and fastfood joints, has now become the source of entertainment in our mechanised life.
With a amphitheatre in the park, Rabindra Shorobor is the centre of all cultural activities in Dhanmondi area. The main podium can be noticed from a long distance due to the Corinthian façade enclosing the arena from the lakeside. Cooled by the shadows of large trees are the ideal places to experience the charming displays, the low step benches surrounded the podium.
Culturally thirsty Dhakaites gather at Rabindra Shorobor virtually on all public holidays. At the usual weekends people from all walks of life gather here to get a breath of fresh air with friends and family. The cigarette, peanut and coffee vendors are busy with many orders from the customers. Youngsters with great ideas, newlyweds with fresh dreams, and music lovers with new tunes in their guitars all converge in the few hundred square feet of Rabindra Shorobor esplanade. The makeshift fuchka and chatpati shops are always ready to give visitors a taste of Bangladeshi spice with their lakeside sitting arrangement.
Part of the attractions of this park are the two beautiful bridges over the lake. A bridge beside Road 32 leads visitors to the historic residence of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibor Rahman. Another bridge besides Road 8 overlooks the charming lakeside restaurants Dinghy and Panshee. Visitors will also get a taste of rowing in the lake with two seater paddle boats.
Author Selina Hossain recalls her memories of Dhanmondi Lake, “I can't forget the days when I sat on the lake on some lazy evening. At that time it was not so crowded neither was it congested. The reflections of the full moon in the clear water of the lake used to feel unearthly.”
Rabindra Shorobor wears a festive look during Bashonta Utshob (Spring Festival) when artists, singers, dancers come to the lake from all over the country. Young women in saffron saris and floral wreaths make it an epitome of Bengali culture. From the afternoon, singers and dancers perform traditional Bengali songs and dance in the amphitheatre of Rabindra Shorobor. Through their engaging performances they welcome spring in the land of celebration. According to Bengali culture the advent of spring (Phalgun and Choitro) symbolises the start of a new life.
The most popular festival celebrated here is perhaps the Bengali New Year. Singers welcome the first day of the Bengali calendar by singing a Tagore song at the free arena of Rabindra Shorobor offered during the breaking of dawn of the New Year. Women in sari and men in punjabi gather around makeshift stalls to eat panta bhat and hilsa fish with a green chili.
Rabindra Shorobor has also become part of our contemporary culture. Open air concerts are regularly arranged where youngsters gather to enjoy western music. Besides recreation Rabindra Shorobor is an important spot for mass awareness raising campaigners. Many organisations launch programmes to get the reach of a large number of people. Many street theatres arrange open air shows in this arena on various issues to sensitise people or to simply entertain them.
Rabindra Shorobor has become an inseparable part of the everyday life of a large number of Dhakaites. Their weekends, recreation and enjoyment revolve around this place. Like Forum in ancient Rome and Parthenon in ancient Greece we have our Rabindra Shorobor. We should protect its beauty and maintain its unsoiled features for the sake of our own interest.

Cultural performance at Rabindra Shorobor. Photo: Ridwan Adid Rupon