Chhayanaut marked the beginning of the Bangla New Year on Monday with its signature cultural celebration held under the centuries-old banyan tree at Ramna Batamul in Dhaka. This year’s event, themed “Amar Mukti Aloy Aloy” (My Liberation Lies in Light), welcomed the dawn of Pahela Baishakh with vibrant performances celebrating the essence of Bengali heritage.
Starting at sunrise, the programme ran from 6:00 am to 8:30 am, featuring 24 performances including 9 group songs, 12 solo renditions, and 3 poetry recitations. More than 150 male and female artists took part, presenting songs that reflected themes of light, nature, humanity, and patriotism.
A semi-circular stage, measuring 72 by 30 feet and set from east to west beneath the banyan tree, provided a striking platform for the performances. The stage, draped in maroon to match the performers’ traditional attire—maroon panjabis with white pajamas for the men and off-white sarees with maroon borders for the women—created a visually unified and culturally rich setting.
Chhayanaut’s Executive President Dr. Sarwar Ali delivered New Year greetings during the event. The programme concluded with a collective rendition of the national anthem by all participating artists.
In keeping with tradition, the stage’s structure remained the same as in previous years, with only the color theme differing—last year’s being light green. The entire celebration was broadcast live on Chhayanaut’s YouTube and Facebook pages and was also aired by several national television channels.
Since 1967, Chhayanaut has been organizing this cultural event at Ramna Batamul to welcome the Bangla New Year, continuing its longstanding commitment to upholding Bengali culture, music, and identity.
SR
