Thoughtsome: Nababarsher Baithak

Our building Metro Heights is often called a Mini India. We celebrate six New Years--Chinese,English, Bengali, Sikh, Sindhi and Muslim.

That is fine, because all of us get to know different rituals,dances,customs and most excitingly, food. So the Bengali New Year was appropriately celebrated with the Nababorsher Baithak, in which Residents and their families and friends participated in the proceedings. The newly painted Community Hall was the venue. The decorations were deliberately kept simple. The arrangements, programme,food and budget was decided at only one informal meeting.The preparations were finished by the afternoon.

The proceedings started off at 6.30 Pm with a pint sized Dyuti rendering appropriately"Sabare Kori Aahban". The crowd started coming in.

Ms Amrita Ghosh is a lawyer,but she came out with a couple of topical songs including the Mohiner Ghoraguli number which had the crowd applauding.

Her accompanist Jo played a fusion piece in which he blended three Rabindrasangeets.

Dr.Biswanath Ghosh is a prolific Surgeon and his wife and daughter Gargi then took the stage with some beautiful Rabindrasangeet numbers. "Chinno Patay Sajai Tarani" was specially appreciated.

Subroto Sarkar dumped his cap of a Banker(DGM CAPS) and came up with a couple of songs including the nostalgic "Path Harabo Bolei Ebar Pathe Nemechi".

Sahana then came up in her well known forceful singing style.She sang a number of Rabindrasangeets, and "Purano Shei Diner Katha" had the whole audience joining in.

Amit Guha is an Orthopaedic Surgeon who has travelled the Bengal countryside with his troupe performing at roads, parks, makeshift stages and auditoriums. He came up with an excerpt from a play by Rabindranath and brought the house down. His son decided to give his father adequate support as you can see in the video!!!!!

Sanchita ,Amit's wife, sweetly rendered two Adhunik songs, one of them being the evergreen "Akash Pradeep Jwale".

We had kept Lipika Mukhopadhaya for the last. She was at her best today . Starting with the "Jag re, Jag Re" and then travelling effortlessly through Thungri, Tappa, Puratoni, Folk, Bhajan, Bhatiali and Shaari. Shaari is usually sung when fishermen row against the current while Bhatiali is sung more when they move with the water current.

As a baithak is incomplete without a poem, I had to write one in the early hours of the morning, and recite it as the concluding venture!!! Click on the play button on the kitten.

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The food consisted of One paper packet(thonga) of Muri, Badam and Kacha Lonka, together with Tele Bhaja(Beguni, Aaloor Chop) and Singara, together with Bhare Cha!!!!!