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Basanta Mela, a part of Bengali culture


Published : 13 Feb 2020 08:59 PM | Updated : 05 Sep 2020 01:44 PM

With blossom of flowers and new leaves in trees, nature is getting afresh and colorful shapes touching hearts and minds of all ages of people as the Spring (Bengali month Falgun and Chaitra) just has arrived today. Pahela Falgun, the first day of Spring of Bengali month Falgun, is going to be celebrated today with flowers, poems, songs and dances. It brings joys and colours both in nature and life. In continuation to this, a seven-day long Basanta Mela (Basanta Fair) with handicraft exhibition kick off across the country. One of them is going to be held at Chanpara of Rupganj upazila in Narayanganj district.

Vendors and artisans have gathered various types of traditional products, including handmade sweets and pies, seasonal fruits and vegetables, handloom sarees, glass bangles, bamboo flutes, clay dolls and local handicrafts at the fair for sale. Various entertainments, including circus, puppet shows, jatra (folk theatre) and palagan (singing in chorus) are also there.

Showpieces made of mud, bamboo and cane, brass jewellery, nakshi kantha (embroidered quilts), decorative masks, hand-printed or embroidered bed sheets and cushion covers, table lamps, jewelry, various types of bangles, mother-of-pearl (nacre) items, bamboo flutes and drums, jamdani sarees, jute and cotton handicrafts, clay toys, and other traditional products are also displayed in the stalls. Men and women selling snacks, from the more common ‘fuchka’ and ‘jhal muri’ to the less often seen ‘khaja’, ‘kodma,’ ‘batasha’ and ‘khoi’ are some of the hotselling items of the fair.