'Khanar Mela' celebrated in Netrokona on Chaitra Sankranti

A sequence of the Khanar Mela held in Netrakona on Sunday - day and night.

On Sunday, with sunrise, the Khanar Mela was inaugurated with the joint performance of the artists of Mongolghor Parishar of the song ‘Brishti Hobe Chokhe Mukhe’ composed by artist Kafil Ahmed. At the beginning of the day-night event, renowned Baul Sunil Karmakar, veteran farmer Baul Mia Hossain and Shefali Gayen performed Baul songs and Gaiyen geet on the courtyard stage of Angaroa village, the geographical and cultural junction of Netrokona-Mymensingh-Kishoreganj.

Freedom fighter Abdul Gafur, writer and cultural organizer Baki Billah and Mizanur Rahman participated in a special discussion on Khana's agriculture, health, environment, life and astronomy with the participation of several thousand spectators. Besides, among others, researcher-writer Pavel Partha, organizer of the Natural Agriculture Movement Delwar Jahan, artist and cultural organizer Bithi Ghosh, poet Asma Bithi, cultural organizer Abul Kalam Azad, folk-literature researcher Rakhal Biswas, and main organizer of the Mangalaghar Parishar Badrun Noor Chowdhury Lipon discussed the special theme of 'Jol Bhala Bhasa, Manush Bhala Chasha'.

The phase of song began with the charming performance by Shefali Boyati. Later, the country's famous artist Kafil Ahmed, Krishnakoli and the singing group, Samageet, Raju (Sahajiya), Padma (Chitkar), Musa Kalim Mukul, Fakir Saheb, Kuasha Morkh, Nupur Sultana, Mangalaghar artist Krishak Dudu Kanchan, Dulal Chishti, young artists Faisal, Uday, Suman, Hridoy and many others sang in the festival.

Artist Padma, who participated in the Khana Mela, said that ‘Khana was a learned Bengali woman who is skilled in astronomy and her verses are mainly agricultural-based rhymes. The verses of Khana have been mixed with the life of rural Bengal for ages, among which the most notable are the customs and superstitions of farming, applied knowledge of farming, astronomy, weather knowledge, advice on crop care, etc. He further said that the main objective of this fair is to spread the knowledge and advice gained by the mine over the years among the people related to agriculture and agriculture and through this to build a strong agriculture-based economy.’

The day-night long Khanar Mela was supported by the local people, the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, and the communication organization Cool Exposure.