MAGURA, Nov 18: With the harvesting of Aman paddy, comes the Nabanna festival. The people of rural areas in Magura like other years are now busy ushering in the age-old traditional festival of Bengali culture with a difference.
In this connection, people of different villages and local socio-cultural organisations are now holding various cultural events at villages which are also ancient traditions of Bengali culture.
The events include: mela (fair), Jhapankhela (risky game using huge snakes), jatrapala (folk drama), lathikhela (mock fight with sticks), ha-do-do (kabadi) game and musical soirees featuring 'Kabigaan' (light songs in the form of questions and answers between duelling bards).
In their latest initiatives, Jagoroni Chakra Foundation, an NGO with cooperation of Thoipara villagers in Shalikha upazila, held a programme on a local primary school premises where lathikhela was staged.
"We organised the event mainly with a view to save our age-old tradition from extinction as nowadays our Bengali culture has been facing challenges by the alien cultures," said Hasib Newaj, public relation officer of Jagoroni Chakra Foundation.
Earlier, the villagers of Pukhuria, Vitasayeer, Barashia, Parla, Moghi, Sitarampur, Chandpur, Bhaina and Tengakhali in Magura Sadar upazila, of Goalpara and Bothiakhali villages in Sreepur upazila, and of Jhama village in Mohammadpur upazila also held similar programmes where hundreds of people gathered with much enthusiasm.
Commenting on the events organised by the Magura villagers, Mokhlesur Rahman, secretary to the district unit of Rabindra Sangeet Sammilon Parishad said, "Magura villagers are now playing a key role in rearing the Bengali cultural heritage."
