Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Bangladeshi Dole-Jatra or Holi or Fagwa Festival of 2016

Bangladeshi Dole-Jatra or Holi or Fagwa Festival of 2016

Sachi G. Dastidar

On March 23, 2016 Bangladeshis celebrated Dole-Jatra with gusto which is also known as Holi, Fagwa and Spring Festival of Colors ushering in the season of spring. In joyous celebration colored power known as aabir is smeared in faces, and colored water sprayed on friends with water guns. Although this was a region-wide festival with partition of Bengal in 1947 and the rise of intolerance towards non-Muslim minorities, public celebration of this festival almost came to a halt as some called this “Hindu Festival.” There are many stories and beliefs behind this thousands-of-year old tradition including that this smearing stops spread of many spring diseases in that tropical atmosphere.

In 1990s several groups expressed their desire to restart this festival in their ashrams except for their lack of funds. To that this writer promised to help them should they need that.


Here are a few pictures from Bangladeshi dailies Bhorer Kagoj and Prothom Alo. 

Nababrindaban Mandir, Bogura, North Bengal, Bangladesh

Nababrindaban Mandir, Bogura, North Bengal, Bangladesh

Nababrindaban Mandir, Bogura, North Bengal, Bangladesh

Nababrindaban Mandir, Bogura, North Bengal, Bangladesh

Chittagong Chiragi Pahar Neighborhood

Chittagong (Southeast Bangladesh) JamalKhan Neighborhood

Comilla (East Bangladesh) City Katyayani KaliBari Temple

Narayanganj (Central Bangladesh) Deobhog (Hindu) Akhra (Ashram)

Rongpur (North Bangladesh) Medical College Area







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