Boat Race a Game of Bangladesh

Boat Race

                                           

A boat race forms an important item in the list of village games of our country. The village people of Bangladesh have got a rich tradition in boat race. As Bangladesh is a land of rivers, canals, beels and haors, her people are very much fond of this game during the rainy season.

The Competition of Boat Race

  The people of our country living by the side of the rivers and beels, take part in boat races. In the haor or beel areas like Mymensingh and Sylhet, people organize boat races in the month of August. Every family of hoar area has its own boat. In the rainy season boats are the main means of transport in the low-lying areas of Bangladesh. During the latter part of July harvesting of Aus crops is over. Agriculture fields and beels are filled with water then. Men have no work during this time. So people of neighboring villages organize boat race. On the scheduled date participants with their boats meet together. Each boat has an equal number of men to drive it. From a particular point the race starts and it ends in reaching the fixed destination. A number of boats are seen coming in the race. The participants try their best to drive their respective boats as fast as possible to reach the destination fast. They beat drums and other instruments to encourage the rowers. The people of Sylhet have a special type of slim and long boat for the purpose of race. Townsfolk sometimes organize boat race in lakes and jeels. This gives joy to the town dwellers who are tired of modern but mechanical forms of recreation.                                      

             The Students’ Union of our college organized a boat race last year on the closing day of the cultural week. Five villages of adjoining ‘Char’ area participated in the race. The race was organized in the Meghna river. Every boat had fifteen rowers. All wore shorts and tunics. Each rower had a paddle in his hand. The race started from a distance of two miles. Hundreds of spectators waited eagerly at the Thana ghat to enjoy the game. With the whistling by our game teacher Mr. Abdus Sattar the race started at 10.a.m. Our Principal and Professors bordered a launch and followed the boats. The party representing Karimpur village became first and those of Jagati and Alokbali became second and third respectively.

            Local elites, students and other people assembled in the prize giving ceremony at p.m. Before distributing prizes our Principal delivered a short speech thanking the local elites, spectators and participants in the race for organizing such an important traditional game. The champion team was given a Shield, the runners-up and the team holding the third place were given a Silver cup each. The occasion offered us scope for a lot of enjoyment. As free and sovereign country we should take steps to popularize our traditional games like ha-du-du and boat race side by side with modern games.        

Cox’s Bazar the Famous Sea Beach in Bangladesh

                  The World's Famous and Largest Sea Beach             

Coz’s Bazar is the best health resort in Bangladesh. During summer vacation, most of the visitors go on a visit to Cox’s Bazar. We, four friends went Cox’s Bazar on a holiday excursion. We reached there in the small hours of the night and put up in a hotel on the sea-beach. I had never seen the sea before. So at day-break I found myself in a new environment. The vast expanse of the Bay of Bengal made me look at it with awe and admiration. There were innumerable visitors crowding the hotels and restaurants. We had our meal in the hotel where we had put up and then had a sleep to wear away the fatigue of our long journey. We woke up when it was about 1 p.m.

            We then decided to take a walk on the sea-beach. When we went out of the hotel, the blue expanse of the Bay of Bengal lay before us stretching to the horizon. The sea was rising and breaking upon the shores all the while and we enjoyed themselves by seeing the big waves splashing and rolling endlessly along the shores. We could not but marvel at the frequent change of color of the sea. The vast expanse of the sea now turned blue, then dark blue, and then again greenish and Gery. This play of light and color kept us spell-bound and we had to stop short in our walk every now and then. We could not resist the temptation of descending down to the margin of the shore where floury sand lay thick, layer upon layer. We passed a few happy hours on the sea-beach, sometimes running over the sands, sometimes playing with pebbles and shells and collecting them and sometimes gazing and gazing on the vast sheet of water before us stretching to the distant horizon. Many people were having their sea-baths. With not a little apprehension we also joined them. Bathing in the sea was indeed a pleasant experience, and we all were thrilled with joy when we danced with the waves and struggled with the breakers. After having a pleasant sea-bath we completed our first round of walk on the sea-beach and hurried back to the hotel at about 5 p.m.

                                                The Place of Cox's Bazar Sea Beach

                It was at about 5-30 p.m. that we again went out of the hotel to resume our walk on the sea beach. This time our sole intention was to enjoy ourselves by observing the majesty of the sun-set scenes at Cox’s Bazar. As we paced slowly about, we saw visitors of the sunset scenes moving along the shore or sitting in the restaurants with their eyes fixed on the blue bosom of the Bay of Bengal. The sun was gradually sinking lower in the western sky and its long rays lit up the hotels and restaurants and the bushes on the beach with a golden hue. But more beautiful was the scene on the bosom of the sea. The floating clouds along the clear sky looked pink and golden. Soon the sun seemed to touch the water of the sea. The sky as reflected on the bosom of the sea looked red and bright. Now the sun got into the watery bed og the sea. With the red glow of the sun, the sea appeared to be on fire. The sun got down and down and the last margin of it varnished in the bosom of the sea. The gold slowly changed into a beautiful green. In the midst of it, there appeared a faint spot of silvery light, the evening star. It was at that we came to ourselves from our waking dream and we slowly made for the hotel with a mind full of cheer and freshness.         

The Natural Beauties of Bangladesh

                    Two Birds Play in Farmland                    

Bangladesh is Nature’s Darling. On no other country of the world has Nature bestowed so much beauty as on Bangladesh. Her beauties consist in bounty and variety. Bangladesh is Nature’s playground. Her tropical climate brings for her abundance of sunshine, on the one hand, and copiousness of cloud and rain, on the other hand. There is always the play of light and shade in the land. She enjoys the pleasures of sunny weather, luxury of colors and throws an appeal of an unending ocean of greenery. A land of perpetual verdure, her beauties in the richness and variety of flora and fauna are simply enchanting.

Village Girl plucks Lily by Sitting Boat in the Lake

        Bangladesh is a land of scenic beauties. Her green fields and fields overflowing with golden crops, the spotlessly blue and cloudy sky, her moonlit and pitch-dark night-all these present scenes of romantic charm and beauty. The chirping of the birds in the morning, the brilliant rays of the morning sun, the twilight of autumn and spring, the glow of the setting sun on the broad expanse of the sea and the river, the moon with her balmy flood of light and the innumerable twinkling stars in the night sky have made Bangladesh a land of romance and beauty. Each of different natural regions has its special charm and beauty. There are a good many places in Bangladesh with uncommon scenic beauty which captivates the lovers of beauty. Cox’s Bazar, Kaptai, Sylhet and the Sundarbans, among others, are blessed with the most enchanting natural beauty.                                       

         Then come of the beauties of the river-scenes of Bangladesh. Few sights on earth can compare in variety and beauty with the sight of a river of Bangladesh. At unbroken view of a variety of sights which entertain the eyes. Then the grand spectacle that the river offers on a moonlit night is simply bewitching. All around there is a deep silence which is now and then broken by the splashing dip of oars and the songs of boatmen. The broad bosom of the river flashes like silver in the flood of moonlight.

     In Bangladesh six seasons in their distinctive robes come in procession play and go. In Summer, heat is intense, but there are the gifts of delicious fruits. In the rainy season floods occur but it is the season which is at the root of all verdure or greenery. In Autumn there is the play of hide and seek among the clouds, the blue sky and the enchanting moonlight at night. In Late autumn (Hemanta) nature smiles with the dew-drops in the morning. In Winter fields full of winter crops and golden rice ready for reaping present a panoramic view. Last of all comes the spring with all its variety of color, music and smell and makes Bangladesh the queen of all beauties.     

Kite- Flying as a Hobby of Bangladeshi Children

Little Children fly their Kite

                                             

Kite-flying is favorite hobby with many children both in towns and villages of our country. Kite are various kinds and shapes. Some of them are like square plates, some like snakes, some like men, while some others are like birds. One kind of them looks like an aeroplane and its framework is made of four pieces of bamboo sticks.

A Lot of Kites Fly in the Sky

       To make a kite, we need two thin sticks of bamboo, a certain length of string, some glue and some thin paper. On the upper surface of the kite, the two thin sticks are placed cross-wise, the one being straight and the other curved like a bow. They are tied together with a string. The four ends of the two sticks are then connected with a certain length of string to make the four edges of the kite. All these make the frame which is then covered with a piece of thin paper. The piece of paper is glued with the string on its four sides. It is also pasted with strips of paper with the sticks. Sometimes a tail is furnished to the kite to keep it steady in the air.       

        Latai is used to fly a kite. It is the reel round which long and thin thread, sharpened with froth of rice mixed with powdered glass, is wound up. One end of this thread is tied to the kite which is then let in the air. The kite is pushed up into the air from a distance and the man holding a Latai in hand turns it round to wind up the string. Then the wind pressing upon the kite tends to blow it away and the string joining it to the reel tends to keep it in. Thus it rises up to a height and stands still there. It then looks like a dot against the blue background of the sky and offers a very fine sight.

         The children of two countries, in particular, are very fond of flying kites. They are China and Japan. The children of these two countries make kites of various shapes and sizes. There are many festivals in these lands and kite-flying forms an erssential iteam of sports in them. In our country the winter is the best time for flying kites. Then there is an even flow of the wind and there is neither rain nor heat. So children take to kite-flying with great joy. They are seen running madly here and there with kites in there hands. In open fields or on house tops they meet and fly kites. Even the grown-ups stand by and enjoy the sight.

         The most interesting thing about kite-flying is the kite match. The thread of one flier is entangled with that of another. They by all their skill and device they try to get each other’s thread cut off. It is so exciting that even old people enjoy the fun. When one competitor succeeds in cutting the thread of his rival he wins the match. Though an interesting pastime kite-flying is always a joy.  

A Snake Charmer in Bangladesh

                      Snake Charmer Shows their Play                      

A snake charmer is one of wandering entertainers of Bangladesh. He is a man who catches snakes and tames them. People believe that he charms the dangerous snakes by his spells. So he is looked upon as a charmer. In almost all seasons, especially in the dry season, a snake charmer is found to roam about in the town or village with two baskets. The basket remain suspended from two ends of a pole or are placed on the head. He announces by shouts that he has big snakes like Python and Cobra.

       He is asked by the owner of a big house to show them. He plays on a special type of flute and opens the lid of the baskets. He wears a snake like a wreath round his neck or places it on the ground. Men, women and children stand round in a circle in awe and suspense and the snakes dance and play to the tune of the flute.

                                               By Playing on Flute Snake Stirs with Music

          The snake charmer has wonderful power to attract people. Men and children are amazed to see how easily he handles the poisonous snakes. Sometimes the snakes are made to bite him with a hissing sound. But he saves himself. Sometimes the snake really bites him and blood comes out. He puts his magic drug on the bitten limb and it seems that there is no effect of poison on him. Sometimes he touches the wound with a magic wand, and lets the spectators know that he has no poison there. Then he appeals for money. People throw paisa, four or eight anna bits or more inside the circle. He earns his livelihood in this way. Women known as ‘Bedini’ are expert in snake-dancing. They sing songs composed on ‘Behula and Lakshindar’ and make snakes dance and play to the tune to their songs. A snake charmer with his or her deadly snakes is a popular but mysterious figure in Bangladesh.      

Season In Bangladesh

                                                              Seasonal  Flowers

 At an interval of every two months, there appears a new season in Bangladesh. Thus we have six seasons in Bangladesh. They are summer, the rainy season, autumn, the late autumn, winter and spring.

Summer:- Baishakh and Jaistha are the summer months. Summer is the season of scorching sun. It is the season of perspiration and thirst. The sun is so hot that sometimes it becomes tiresome to do any work. Schools and colleges remain closed for some time during this season. Ponds and tanks dry up and many villages suffer much from the scarcity of drinking water. Cholera breaks out here and there in an epidemic form. The Nor’westerly blows sometimes in a terrible form. But summer has its boons also. It is in this season that we get mangoes, Lichis, Jack-fruits and many other fruits.

The Rainy Season:- Then come the rainy season . The months of Asharh and Sraban make the rainy season. In this season, the sky remains cloudy and it rains day and night. Rivers, tanks, ponds and canals are full of water. Fields go under water. Farmers plough their fields and sow seeds of paddy. Sometimes the rivers overflow their banks and many villages go under water. Villagers go from one place to another by boat. In this season, fishermen have plenty of fish to catch and there is brisk trade in Hilsha fish. In some places malaria breaks out towards the end of this season.

                                                      This Flower Enhances the Natural Beauty

Autumn:- The cloudy sky clears up at the advent of autumn which occupies the months of Bhadra and Aswin. White and light patches of cloud sometimes float here and there in the sky, but rain is not copious. There is still water in the canals and low lands but they gradually begin to dry up. Plenty of fish is available in those places. Bangladesh’s principal cash crop, jute, is ready for sale. Nature is washed clean; filth and dirt have already been carried away by the rains. The Hindus have Durga Puja in this season.

The Late Autumn:- The Autumn rolls into late autumn or Hemanta, which is the season of dew. Harvesting of crops begins soon. The golden paddy in the fields creates in the minds of the peasants many happy dreams. It is neither hot nor cold but one feels that winter is not far.

Winter:- Winter comes with its fog and chill. Life in nature seems to be dull. Trees turn grey and almost leafless. Men shiver with cold. The sky becomes clear and blue. Poor people suffer much from cold. Vegetables are available in abundance. It is the season of Gur and Patali which are the special products of Bangladesh.

The Spring:- Last of all comes the spring season. It is the loveliest of all seasons. The cold of winter is over. Days are warm. Lifeless trees put on new leaves. Flower bloom and a gentle breeze blows. Bees hum and the cuckoo sings in joy. There is joy everywhere. With the end of the spring the seasons in Bangladesh take a coplete cycle. Thus the seasons come and go making Bangladesh a land of beauty, variety and plenty.  

Place of Historical Interest and Spiritual Heritage

                                                                  Mahasthangarh

There are good number of places of historical interest in Bangladesh. Mahasthangarh in Bogra, Paharpur in Rajshahi and Mainamati in Comilla can satisfy the tourists deeply who are interested in archaeological and cultural history of Bangladesh. The Darghas of Shah Jalal at Sylhet, Bayazid Bustami in Chittagong, Shah Makhdum in Rajshahi and Khan Jahan Ali at Bagerhat are no less attractive to the tourists who are interested in our spiritual heritage.

Old Famous Darghas

         The people of a place with their distinct manners and customs can easily attract the tourists. The ways of lie of the tribal people in Bangladesh such as the Garos, the Chakmas and others are no less attractive. Any tourists who is used to drinking tea will be delighted to see the local women picking tea leaves in the tea gardens will bamboo baskets on their backs. The tribal dances and songs are always attractive to the tourists.                             

           Bangladesh has a good prospect in tourists but she is yet to be developed in this field. Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation has been trying to develop tourism and to attract more and more tourists. The Parjanta Corporation has already set up some motels at Cox’s Bazar, Chittagong, Rangamati and Bogra for the convenience of the tourists. It has been trying to take such other steps as would encourage more and more tourists to visit our country.

                 Though Bangladesh is an ideal land for the tourists, much is yet to be done to develop tourism in Bangladesh. More comfortable and inexpensive motels and rest houses have to be built for the tourists. Above all, our tourists attractions have to be given wider publicity at home and abroad. We must make a tourist’s visit to our country rewarding and worth remembering. Then tourism will turn into a profit-earning industry for our country.