The Trip of a Lifetime: 100 Member Youth Delegation (Part Iv)
We arrived at Ahmedabad in a rush. But the rush was that of excitement and anxiety. We were in Gujrat, the land of colours, traditions and Garba! The fifth day of the 100 Member Delegation trip from Bangladesh to India had already begun, and we were ready for whatever was to come.
After flying in from Delhi, without a break we began rehearsing for the cultural show. We were to perform at the LJ Institute of Information and Technology after a Gujrat performance by the locals. At 2 in the morning, after checking into the hotel and settling down, with fatigued eyes but incomparable spirits, we all went downstairs to begin rehearsals. Srimonti Sengupta Pooja was there not just to choreograph but keep us going, and keep us inspired. My roommate Sarzina was the cultural coordinator and she rightly set up the dance troupe, singing ensemble, poetry reciters and mime artists for the show.
The next day began with a trip to Tata Motors which was followed by a visit to the Gandhi Ashram, where we learned the basic and down-to-Earth lifestyle of Mahatma Gandhi. We were then headed to the LJ Institute, and all the while, the back of the bus was busy with dancers rehearsing mudras and steps, and the front was occupied with the singers singing their hearts out. After arrival and getting ready, the stage was set. The Gujrati students went first- beginning with raags, Garba music, painting, mimicry and ended with an exciting Garba dance piece.
Then up went the Bangladeshis. The singers, such as Debolina Sur, A. I. Razu, Suraiya Shakila Shukla and many others, no doubt, began and took the show in the palm of their hands. The audience were on their feet as the medley began- one song after the other- ranging from patriotic songs, to pop, to western. Next, Ariq Anam Khan, Mahidul Islam Ratul and Kazi Nazrul Islam recited three beautiful poems. Sadia Jannat Joya and her partner performed a hilarious mime piece depicting the lives of obsessive selfie takers.
Mahtarima Sharmin Prokriti,Prishuti Chakma, Ummay Salma Soma and I performed to the song Aji Bangladesh er Hridoy by Sadi Mohammad. The night ended in an absolute high when all the students and performers went out onto the field and did a Garba piece together- more than a 100 people, in a circle, dancing to the hearts' fullest contentment. It was something none of us would ever be able to forget. And I can speak on behalf of all the 100 members when I say this. After such a night, we went back to the hotel in a daze, some of us still moving to the Garba music that kept ringing in our ears.
On our sixth day, we began our morning with a riveting tour of the Adalaj Stepwell- built in 1499 by Mahmud Begada for his queen Rudabai, wife of Veersinh, the Vaghela Chieftain. It is one of the most gorgeous examples of Indo-Islamic fusion architecture. This was also the day the 'back of the bus' gang was formed- a gang that became like a family consisting of Ariq, Sarzina, Sadman Anik, Saad Uddin, Tamanna Taher Tonni from Jahangirnagar University, Theatre activist Somaiya Samm Moni, and bookstore owner Sabrina Islam. Beginning from random songs, to random jokes, to a shoulder to sleep on- we were there for each other throughout.
From there we went to learn about the famous salt march by Gandhi, after which we went to one of the famous Ahmedabad cinemas. The 100 members were truly engrossed in watching Kahaani 2, a heavy film after which some shopping was done to calm us all down. While the nightlife of Ahmedabad may not be that of Delhis, the colours and traditional relics everywhere were enough to fill your heart with a new love for culture.
Before it even began in full-throttle, our stay in Ahmedabad was over too soon. After a 2-day long stay we were back in our hotel rooms packing our belongings for our last and final destination- Kolkata.
Just one more day and it would all be over- much too soon, much too short. We came to India as a 100 strangers, and now we couldn't believe the end of the trip was nearer than we could hope for.
In the final piece of this series, due next week, I will talk about the unforgettable experience I had in what to me was like Dhaka's sister city, and what I learned and gained from this trip of a lifetime.