Folk culture festival in Mymensingh

A daylong folk culture festival (Loko-Sangskriti Utsab) was held at Tengorpara in Phulbaria upazila of Mymensingh on Saturday.

Parbon, a cultural group organised the third edition of the event.

The festival, involving pastoral and traditional sources of merriments like Ekdil Gaan, Lathikehla, Puthipath, Dariabandha and Ha-du-du, that kept the rural people in their hundreds captivated all day.

Ekdil Gaan performance by Akram Boyati and his troupe from Phulbaria was a good source of entertainment at the event. The performance is very similar to 'Gazir Gaan', wearing multi-coloured costumes.

An 80-year old Ibrahim Khalil of Tengorpara who came to the venue to enjoy the event, said since young age, he along with other village boys used to play and enjoy such events in their locality, as it was one of their prime source of entertainment. But the young generations are not familiar with such events, and these events are going into oblivion, lamented another elderly man Alim Uddin, 85, of village Panjana of Phulbaria.

Parbon sources said they organise such events every year, and work to revive nearly-extinct rural cultural activities and games.

Prof Al Jabir of Jatiya Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam University; Prof Afzalur Rahman Bhuiyan of Netrakona Govt College, and district cultural officer Arzu Parves addressed the inaugural session, among others.

Noor Mohammad Sonaru, eminent Puthipathak of Mymensingh region presided while popular palakar Abdul Hekim Boyati from Kendua Upazila of Netrakona district inaugurated the event.