Barsha Utshob: The festival of Monsoon

“Jham Jham Ghano Ghano Re” is a Tagore song that usually opens the monsoon celebrations in Bangladesh, where the Monsoon is welcomed with a warm embrace.

Barsha Utshob is a day-long Monsoon celebration observed in Bangladesh. The festival date is set on the first day of Asharh, the third month of the Bengali calendar, and it usually corresponds to 15 June of the Gregorian calendar. This day is marked with colorful celebrations, including concerts, play, poetry recitation, documentary films on Monsoon, puppet shows, Hilsha festival, and many other programs. Traditionally women wear sky blue saris to match the color of the sky on Monsoon.

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The Monsoon’s beauty is exceptional as it presents greenery and freshness to nature in both rural and urban areas of the country. Rural people enthusiastically anticipate the Monsoon as their livelihood is closely linked to the season. So, when the season arrives, it is embraced with celebrations. The evocative picture of the season is also depicted in many of Rabindranath Tagore’s songs as he was mesmerized by the beauty of the wet season.

To welcome the Monsoon, prominent cultural organization organize day-long festivals at the Nazrul Mancha of Bangla Academy, in Shahbag of the capital. The colorful programs feature solo and chorus performances, group dances, and poetry recitation. Every year, the programs start at 7 a.m. with a presentation of instrumental music.

Written by

Boby Sarker

Information Collected