A five-day cultural festival by Santal, a national minority community was held at Godagari upazila in Rajshahi with great enthusiasm and fervour. Manwaya, a cultural front of Santal community, organised the large programme at Kakonhat of Godagari. Kakhonhat municipal mayor Abdul Majid inaugurated the festival on October 19. Adibashi cultural personality Birsing Hembrom from India attended the event as a special guest Deputy director of social welfare office of Dinajpur, Stiphen Murmu and Hasan Millat, executive editor of Rajshahi based Bangla daily Sonar Desh addressed the opening ceremony among others.
Danta and Dashai, two cultural competitions were held at the festival where 10 troupes participated. Apart from performances, the troupes skillfully described their traditional practices and culture, native language and their contribution to the cultural arena of the country.
A fair was also set up at the premises of Kakonhat municipality that attracted huge number of visitors to the stalls selling food items to toys for children.
The festival concluded on October 23 with a prize giving ceremony at Kakonhat municipality auditorium. Local lawmaker Omar Faruk Choudhury addressed the concluding programme as chief guest.
Jatiya Adibashi Parishad former president Anil Marandi, renowned Indian singer Rothin Kisku, freedom fight researcher Waliur Rahman Babu, spoke at the concluding ceremony among others.
New Age was the media partner of the programme.
-With New Age input
