Dhaka Brought In Bengali New Year With The World's Longest Piece Of Alpona Art

Pohela Boishakh is Bengali New Year and is celebrated on Apri 14 in Bangladesh and April 15 in the Indian states of West Bengal, Tripura, Jharkhand, and Assam. Translating to 'the first spring', it is a festival based on the spring harvest — which marks the first day of the New Year in the official calendar of Bangladesh. During the festivities, homes and streets are adorned with traditional alpona designs and families gather in new clothes to enjoy a feast of Panta Bhat, Ilish Bhaji, and other delicacies.

This year, Dhaka celebrated the festive occasion with 'Alponay Boishakh 1431', aiming to not only showcase the beauty of alpona, which is a traditional Bengali folk art that's similar to rangoli, but also potentially set a world record for the longest alpona creation.

Traditionally, alpona designs are crafted with rice flour, transforming streets and homes with kaleidoscopes of colours and motifs. These motifs hold deep significance, sometimes representing religious or tribal affiliations, or even believed to ward off evil spirits. In some Bengali traditions, alpona patterns are linked to religious fasts or brata. Interestingly, the art form is evolving, with some artists embracing contemporary patterns and paints alongside the time-tested rice flour.

This year's 'Alponay Boishakh 1431' was a collaborative effort by Asiatic Experiential Marketing, Banglalink Digital Communications, and Berger Paints Bangladesh. The festival aimed to break the record for the world's longest alpona and stretched for an impressive 14 kilometers across Mithamoin, Kishoreganj, with the help of more than 700 volunteers. Celebrations also unfolded in Khulna and Dhaka, gracing the streets with a visual feast of colours.

As alpona artists like Ratnabali Ghosh from Kolkata continue to uphold traditional methods, 'Alponay Boishakh 1431' in Dhaka celebrated both the preservation and evolution of this art form. The festival, with its dazzling display of colours and patterns, brought together people from all walks of life; symbolizing unity, joy, and the rich cultural heritage of Bangladesh.

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