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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