Countdown
to Baishakh
Ashim Kumar Paul
Days
coming closer to the end of Spring stir up more oomph among the assiduous students
of the Faculty of Fine Arts (FFA) of Dhaka University who are busy exerting the
last drop of their unsullied verve and vitality to conclude their preparations earlier
than the cut-off date as the people living in Dhaka city, with their ardent
enthusiasm and festive mood, look forward to the longed-for day when Mongol Shobhajatra or the new year colourful
procession, like every year, will be brought out from the FFA on the street to
welcome Pahela Baishakh, first day of Bangla New Year 1420.
Since 1989,
every year the students and teachers of the FFA have formed Mongol Shobhajatra parading
around the campus with hand-made colourful masks, sculptures and art projects,
each welcoming the new and blessed, and wishing past evils away. Mongol
Shobhajatra creates a huge trail of throng fervently participated by people from
all walks of life regardless of religious, class and regional differences. The
crowds wearing traditional Bengali dresses spill out of house into the street to converge into the streams of the grand colourful
procession to demonstrate their innate impulse for the age-old tradition and
heritage of the nation. Celebration of Pahela Baishakh in the metropolis life
is, therefore, deemed incomplete without the presence of the pulsating Mongol
Shobhajatra. But behind the luminous, splendid march, hardly people know about
the unremittingly endeavour of the actors of the magnificent works who never relinquish
their robust hope and aspirations and always toil together to bring about the
long-cherished success.
The premise of the FFA, before
the advent of Pahela Baishakh, has turned out a bustling crux with the lively presence
of the learners sweating their guts out to meet the onus shouldered on them. From
the morning to late night, students can be seen in the premise and found on the
go to hone the paintings, potteries, especially well decorated shora,
T-shirts etc. “Since almost one month ago, we have been preparing for Pahela
Baishakh. Generally, we come in the premise at around 10 a.m. But nowadays, the
schedule is overtly overlooked to finish our preparations for we are much
closer to the orbit of the day,” says Sumon Baidya, a student from the 12th
batch of FFA.
Like every year, this year
the 12th batch has been given the responsibility to lead the whole
programme. “Though we are leading the entire episode, students from all batches
are working hard together to make the event a successful one,” cites Sumon.
Mongol Shobhajatra,
symbolising the eradication of all kinds of evil spirits and the salutation of
the new beneficent for mankind, is accompanied by outsized colour-clad replicas
of birds and animals based on folk motifs from traditional folklores of
Bangladesh. “This year, rebellious bull, flying birds, Moron Chand Paul’s
rickshaw and a pair of sponge wood-made birds will be among the features of the
replicas. The theme of this year’s rally seeks justice for war crimes and
voices out against the threat on our culture and heritage,” states Anika Hoque,
from drawing and paintings department of FFA.
One of the major jobs is to
manage a sizeable fund for the multihued procession. Maintaining their
traditional norm, the organisers do not let any multinational company or
organisation to sponsor. “Former and current students, teachers raise fund by
receiving orders, selling the paintings, traditional potteries, masks and more.
At the beginning, we kick off our
preparations on our own money. Later, earning from the sale of paintings,
potteries and other items is adjusted to pay off that fund. Prices of the
paintings by the students of FFA vary from 500 BDT to 3000 BDT while the
paintings by the teachers of FFA worth from 5000 BDT up to 100000 BDT. However,
we all work here voluntarily and even we stop our all personal works.”
elucidates Sumon Baidya.
Another eye-catching decoration is the wall paintings that feature the
traditional beauty and hoary heritage of our culture. Like
every year, the students will paint the walls of FFA marking Pahela Baishakh.
The wall paintings this year will feature paintings based on rural folklores of
Bangladesh. The wall-painting programme will be all set by the students of FFA
under the guidance of Gupu Trivedi and Md. Abdus Sattar, teachers of FFA. Besides, at the Faculty of Fine Arts, the
'Zainul Shishu Niketon' also well-known as 'School Ghar' will also be painted
with colourful paintings and decorated with multi-coloured potteries like the Shokher
Hari (a clay pot decorated with paintings of animals, mostly used to
contain gifts, in rural).
Alongside
the preparations for the grand rally in the Pahela Baishakh, Sumon informs that
every evening there is a rehearsal for an opera (A jatrapala) which
will be staged within a week after the Baishakh festivity. It is also a part of
the Baishakh episode. Students, teachers and staffs of FFA will enact different
roles in the opera. The entire show will be staged at the premise of FFA and
open for all. One of the reasons behind the opera is to bring something entertainment
for the members of FFA family who are toiling a lot to succeed the grand rally
and also the programme will act as a reunion for the former students and
present students to be with their teachers.
Pahela
Baishakh comes to the metropolis with a gift that soaks the hectic, mechanical
life with its rejuvenating essence and colours. Endeavour to quiver
the old murk and to revive the life-force and passion is a testament to the message of Pahela Baishakh that composes
the mettle and inspiration of the students of FFA who, through their youthful
strive, are toiling best to rekindle the light of true patriotic spirit within
us, fight against the anti-liberal forces and thus, must deserve our high
acclaim.
