It was a different day for women including girl and children of Baburghone village under Rohonpur municipal area in Gomostapur upazila of Chapainawabganj district, as they arranged a Nabanno festival with pitha and 'meyeli geet' to preserve rural culture and heritage. Rural women arranged the Nabanno Utsab (Festival of Harvest) on Saturday.  

Women and girls of all ages passed a busy day, crushing paddy by 'dheki' and also crushing rice by 'jata', and collecting water from Punorbhaba River, singing traditional songs called 'meyeli geet'. After completing the arrangements, they sat around a clay oven, making pitha (traditional cakes and sweets). 

Baburghone village is situated on the bank of Punorbhaba River. Momtaj Begum, a teacher of Uttar Rohonpur Government Primary School arranged all the programmes with the help of local women. She took the initiative five years ago to celebrate the rural culture.

The songs they sang have been traditionally passed on from generations orally, and sung during this festival. There are specific songs for crushing the rice into flour (dhan bhangar geet) or for bringing water from the river (jol anar geet). 

Once upon a time, women sang these songs in their leisurely hours, to express their feelings and emotions, said Momtaz Begum.

The pitha made at the festival were distributed among people.