Charukala ready to embrace Pahela Baishakh
'Anondo loke, mangal aloke, birajo, sotto sundoro' – with these immortal words by Tagore as the underlying theme the Institute of Fine Arts, University of Dhaka, is all set to celebrate the dawning of the Bengali year 1424.
As tradition has it the responsibility of overseeing matters related to the new year celebrations rest on the shoulders of ex-students of the Institute and this year the torch bearers are the 18th and 19th batch of the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from this renowned centre of academic excellence.
"The fact that the Mangal Shobhajatra has recently been included in the list of intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO makes the affair even more significant this year," said Palash Saha, Convenor, Mangal Shobhajatra, 1424.
Like the years before, a sale of watercolour paintings by teachers and students of the faculty is already underway. This is a once-in-a year opportunity for art enthusiasts to acquire artworks by prominent artists at reasonable prices.
"Not just watercolours, the fund raiser will also see the sale of masks and other traditional crafts until the eve of Pahela Baishakh," said Saha.
The students are already busy in the making of the crafts for sale and also the large figurines, masks and giant structures that are the key elements of the procession.
In this connection Saha said, "Fourteen large structures will be the hallmark of the event this year, along with countless other props that are widely associated with Bengali culture and traditions."
The Mangal Shobhajatra is the parade of colours which has been the focal point of the cultural celebration on 14 April since 1989, and is possibly second only to the soiree arranged by Chhayanaut at the Ramna Batamul.
The procession highlights the Bengali culture and its universal appeal though myriad motifs and other elements.
By Mannan Mashhur Zarif
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