‘Such events remind us of our cultural roots’

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The day-long Prothom Alo Boishakhi festival is underway to welcome Bengali New Year 1433. Today Tuesday, the program started with national anthem and Baishakh songs at Chef’s Table courtside located on Madani Avenue in the capital’s United City.

The event started from 9 am and will continue till 5 pm. In this festival organized in the open courtyard of Chef’s Table, immediately after the National Anthem, the child artistes of Gitanjali Academy of Fine Arts sang ‘Eso Hey Baishakh, Eso Eso’. Then the guests and visitors in front of the stage also joined them. After the musical performance, Prothom Alo Managing Editor Anisul Haque presented a memento to Gitanjali Academy of Fine Arts.

Then the drawing competition started. Children and teenagers are divided into two groups. On the morning of the first day of Baisakh, children and teenagers draw various pictures in colors while sitting on the red carpet on the green grass of Chef’s Table premises. The guardians fanned the contestants from standing behind. Then there was a children’s handwriting competition.

Housewife Shaheen Haque came to the festival from Uttara with her daughter and granddaughter. He told Prothom Alo, “Such arrangements remind us of the roots of our culture. It is an opportunity to come here and see the atmosphere of traditional Bengali festival.

Organized by Prothom Alo and in collaboration with Chef’s Table Courtside, folk products like Shitalpati, Tepaputul, bangles, toys will be exhibited for the visitors throughout the day. Ranpa, Hawaiian Sweets, Monkey Dance, Tia Bird Letters, Bombay Candy are all over the fair grounds. There will also be fun childhood games like Latim, Marbles, Ludo, Sixteen, Biscuit Run.

Housewife Ayesha Kabir brought her family from Pallabi area of ​​the capital. He told Prothom Alo, ‘I was watching the news of the festival here for several days. Nice to come. Very nice arrangement. There should be more such arrangements for the city dwellers.

Around the Prothom Alo Boishakhi festival, the chefs table area has various accessories of contemporary Bengal. These include Blacksmithing, Tantipara, Bamboo Cottages, Sheetalpati and Tepaputul, Kumarpara, Nakshikantha, Mask and Sara Art, Caricature, Magic Show, Dollhouse, Origami Stalls. Apart from this, there are Nagordola, Hawaiian sweet, colorful dress and bangle shop.

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This New Year event becomes more colorful with the presence of Prothom Alo colleagues, their family members and visitors. Colorful sarees and Punjabis spread the festive atmosphere at the venue. The first day of the new year becomes colorful.

Handwriting competition and ‘dress up as you wish’ are organized by children, teenagers and youths in the festival. Besides, creative corners like caricature and origami become the center of special attraction for children.

Principal Moktar Hossain and Vice Principal Mimia Khatun came to the Prothom Alo Baisakhi Festival with a group of 11 students of Badda Cambridge Grammar School. They told Prothom Alo, ‘I have brought here to give students an idea about the festival and arrangements of the Bengali New Year. Students are watching and learning all the subjects.

Throughout the festival there are various performances including music, storytelling sessions, puppetry, magic. Artist Rajeev Basak from Chittagong shows magic to the visitors. An open and lively environment has been created to spend time with family throughout the event. Apart from this, there are festive decorations and traditional motifs of Baisakh throughout the event. This New Year event has become a platform for a day of joy and cultural connection amidst the hustle and bustle of city life.

In the middle of the event, around 12 noon, the prize distribution ceremony was held among the winners of various competitions. United Group Chairman Moinuddin Hasan Rashid, Prothom Alo Editor Matiur Rahman, Managing Editor Anisul Haque, Associate Editor Sumna Sharmin and other guests handed over the prizes to the children on stage.