The city’s Krishnachura blooms
Is Dhaka ugly? Admittedly, this is a rather inappropriate question. Dhaka is our home. We should not call our own city -- nay, our own home -- ugly. But for a moment, if we put emotions aside, one may dare say that compared to many cities of the world our capital is not exactly aesthetically beautiful or well-planned.
Naysayers will disagree, though. I shall too, let my scepticism rest for some parts of Dhaka, especially at this time of year, pointing out to the exorbitant Krishnachura blooms that have adorned our city.
Indeed, the Krishnachura trees dotted across Dhaka provide pleasant sights of beauty in the otherwise largely grey and dull concrete jungle that is our capital.
I am not a poet. Also, I reckon the pace and cutthroat personality of this city has killed the romantic in me. Otherwise, I could have waxed lyrical about Krishnachura.
Nevertheless, even for an average citizen, we get stunned by the vivid orange and reddish flowers and mesmerised by the sights surrounding them -- a day labourer rests under its shade to catch a breath in the unforgiving heat of a summer noon. A couple lazily strolls past a line of Krishnachura trees. A group of friends takes selfies whilst a photographer tries to capture the blooms in his DSLR.
Although such scenes can be spotted in several parts of the metropolis, my favourite area for Krishnachura has always been around Chandrima Udyan. The majestic Sangsad Bhaban and the waters and the relatively smooth and wide road provide a beautiful setting for the abundant Krishnachura trees and their flowers.
Krishnachura around Kuril Flyover too, captures fascination -- the height of the flyover levels up with the treetops at certain points, thus allowing commuters glimpses of these flamboyant flowers up close.
Perhaps, the sight of this flower is so pleasing because of the very abundance of it. Bulks and bulks of bright orange together make up for much of its beauty. Sure, a bouquet of any flower looks pretty too, but I would argue that flowers look their best when in trees, especially when there is a lot of them together.
And as for Krishnachura, I reckon it is the perfect flower for Dhaka! This city is as fiery as the Krishnachura blooms, as ambitious as the bright orange, as flamboyant as the riches of the metropolis, and as blazing as the heat of this weather.
On a separate note, it is a sad reality that some trees have recently been cleared off in Dhanmondi in the name of development, in order to build various infrastructures. This has been met with a lot of criticism -- a testament to the fact that even though Dhakaiites busy themselves with the unforgiving pace of life, we still have an intimate connection with the city itself.
So, is Dhaka ugly? Maybe not? Its trees, for example, make us think otherwise. The authorities should keep that in mind when planning those so-called development projects.
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