Mangal Shobhajatra is an annual festival to celebrate Pahela Baishakh (New Year's Day) in Bangladesh that is organized by students and teachers of the Faculty of Fine Art at Dhaka University.
In the early 1970s, the country, Bangladesh, was suffering from a military dictatorship and floods. A mass uprising occurred in Dhaka which led to the death of many, including Noor Hossain. When the military regime came to power, the students of the Dhaka University Faculty of Fine Arts arranged the Mangal Shobhajatra on Pahela Baishakh as a way to protest the government.
Mangal Shobhajatra takes place on April 14, and it began in 1989 when students frustrated with the military rule organized a march tittle “Mangal Shobhajatra” literary meaning well-being procession on Pahela Baishakh to give people hope for a better future.
One month before the festival, faculty members work together to create masks (said to drive away evil and allow progress to occur) and floats. A selection of the works created will represent evil, courage, strength, and peace.
As part of the Mangal Shobhajatra, the Faculty of Fine Art (FFA) at the University of Dhaka (DU) keeps the Mangal Shobhajatra free of commercial signs from big companies. Instead, the teachers, students, and alumni raise funds through the sale of artwork, sora, masks, paintings on Bengali folk heritage, and crafts they make during the festival.
The Mangal Shobhajatra festival symbolizes the pride the people of Bangladesh have in their folk heritage, the strength that they have, and the courage they have in fighting against sinister forces. Additionally, the festival represents solidarity and an important aspect of democracy, uniting people of all races, creeds, religions, and ages. Knowledge is transmitted by students and teachers through the community.
The procession features a large replica of a bird, fish, animal, or folk tale. The rally symbolizes unity, peace, and the removal of evil to advance humanity. It is seen as the expression of the secular identity of the Bangali people.
Participants, regardless of class, age, religion, or gender, participate in the rally. Charukola's students and teachers have been organizing Mangal Shobhajatra every year since then. This procession has become a staple of Pahela Baishakh, the largest celebration of secular Bangalee culture, which focuses on a theme related to the country's culture and politics.
Mangal Shobhajatra is an annual festival to celebrate Pahela Baishakh (New Year's Day) in Bangladesh that is organized by students and teachers of the Faculty of Fine Art at Dhaka University.
In the early 1970s, the country, Bangladesh, was suffering from a military dictatorship and floods. A mass uprising occurred in Dhaka which led to the death of many, including Noor Hossain. When the military regime came to power, the students of the Dhaka University Faculty of Fine Arts arranged the Mangal Shobhajatra on Pahela Baishakh as a way to protest the government.
Mangal Shobhajatra takes place on April 14, and it began in 1989 when students frustrated with the military rule organized a march tittle “Mangal Shobhajatra” literary meaning well-being procession on Pahela Baishakh to give people hope for a better future.
One month prior to the festival, faculty members work together to create masks (said to drive away evil and allow progress to occur) and floats. A selection of the works created will represent evil, courage, strength, and peace.
As part of the Mangal Shobhajatra, the Faculty of Fine Art (FFA) at the University of Dhaka (DU) keeps the Mangal Shobhajatra free of commercial signs of big companies. Instead, the teachers, students, and alumni of the FFA raise funds through the sale of artwork, sora, masks, paintings on Bengali folk heritage, and crafts they make during the festival.
The Mangal Shobhajatra festival symbolizes the pride the people of Bangladesh have in their folk heritage, the strength that they have, and the courage they have in fighting against sinister forces.
Additionally, the festival represents solidarity and an important aspect of democracy, uniting people of all races, creeds, religions, and ages. Knowledge is transmitted by students and teachers through the community.
The procession every year features a large replica of a bird, fish, animal, or folk tale. The rally symbolizes unity, peace, and the removal of evil in order to advance the country and humanity. It is seen as the expression of the secular identity of the Bangali people. Participants, regardless of class, age, religion, or gender, participate in the rally.
Charukola's students and teachers have been organizing Mangal Shobhajatra every year since then. This procession has become a staple of Pahela Baishakh, the largest celebration of secular Bangalee culture, which focuses on a theme related to the country's culture and politics each year.
References
(https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/mangal-shobhajatra-on-pahela-baishakh-01091) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mangal_Shobhajatra) (https://www.thedailystar.net/arts-entertainment/event/mangal-shobhajatra-intangible-cultural-heritage-humanity-1561927) |Subject=Art, Entertainment and Recreation, Verbal Arts and Literature |Country=Bangladesh |SDG=(01) No Poverty, (03) Good Health and Well-being, (05) Gender Equality, (08) Decent Work and Economic Growth, (11) Sustainable Cities and Communities, (16) Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions }}