www.Jasimuddin.org

Visit Jasim Uddin House, Ambikapur, Faridpur All the items belong to Palli Kabi Jasimuddin Sriti Sangho - Register no - Faridpur Pha 66- President Dr. Jamal Anwar Jasimuddin House, Anbikapur, Faridpur CONTENT 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1- 2014 -Kabar - Family Gravyard 1.2- Kacharigahr Guest Room 2. Museum 2.1 Monimala Monihar Museun 2.2- Prof Nooruddin Museum 2.3- Ansaruddin Museum 3. Inside the House 4. Women Center at Village Ambikapur 5. Hasu Mia's Pathsala- Music and Dance Center 6. Sewing Center 7.Picnic 8. Jasim Uddin, Ambikapur 1904-33 9. Memories 10.Geeta Dutta - Proud of Faridpur 11. Gazir Gan Festival on Poet's Birthday 01. 01. 2009 12. Jasim Palli Mela 2009 KUMAR RIVER - THE RIVER OF SORROW O babu, many salams to you ......................... My home is the Padma river We cook on one bank, We eat at another We have no homes, The whole world is our home, All men are our brothers We look for them In every door….." (Jasim Uddin) Babu Salam Barebar Bengali Folksongs sung by Poet Jasim Uddin , July 24, 1958, Interview Henry Cowell. Courtesy Libary of Congress, Washington, D. C. USA The greaest experience of my life is village life. Today modern educated people avoid and abhor village-folks. In my early life I had tried to prove that the people we look down upon are really very beautiful people...(Jasim Uddin) Jasim Uddin poet and litterateur, poet of the people of Bengal ("Pallikabi") Ittadi - Jasimuddin House - Faridpur 29 January 2016 Hanif Sanket Jasimuddin House, Ambikapur Kabi Jasim Uddin House Tribute to Kabi Jasim Uddin Ambikapur, Faridpur Google earth tag: Jasimuddins house at Dhaka Banlgadesh    Jasimuddin - Poet of the people of Bengal- A film by Khan Ata 1978 Amar Kantho I - Voice and Songs of Jasim Uddin Part I Amar Kantho II- Voice and Songs of Jasim Uddin- Part II Bengali Folksongs sung by Poet Jasim Uddin , July 24, 1958, Interview Henry Cowell. Courtesy Libary of Congress, Washington, D. C. USA A rare video - A film by Hasna Jasim uddin Moudud, 1974 Sujon Badiar Ghat (Gypsy Wharf)- Jasim Uddin BBC interview of Poet Jasim Uddin by famous novelist Syed Shamsul Haque, BBC, London, 1973 Bedermeye- - Jasim Uddin's famous musical and drama on oppressed and neglected gypsy folk: Part I Bedermeye- - Jasim Uddin's famous musical and drama on oppressed and neglected gypsy folk: Part 2 © Jasim Uddin I. Introduction Jasim Uddin was born on January 1, 1904 (Accoding to his Matriculation Certificate, Prof. Aminul Islam, Jasimuddin, 1962), in a small village, Tambulkhana, in the Faridpur district of East Bengal. That was his grandparent's village, only eight miles from his parent's home in Govindapur (at that time Padma river was flowing by Govindopur). He has described these two villages and their manner of life in his autobiography. Many scenes from The Field and Gipsy Wharf have their setting in these villages. In those books Jasim Uddin is writing of a time when the land of Bengal had fewer problems than present day. He lived about 32 years at village Ambikapur, and left fot Kolkatta after he had finished B. A. examination from Faridpur Rajenra College. Tui Phele Eshechhis Kare Painted Root of Trees by Sagar Tree planted by Jasim Uddin Back to Content Newly opened Modhumala Gallary March 2016 Shora of Bangladesh According to most scholars, the earliest evidence of painting from this deltaic region dates back to not more than three thousand years. In the absence of any specimen from the previous ages, one may find its residue in the form of art that connects the present day practices to those of the past, (especially through “broto alpana”), one which continues to this day in one form or other. Elements that seemed to give off a sense of “the primordial” are still surviving in folk art, in which we may find a continuation of the art of even the pre-historic age. The commitment to repetition and continuity is what rituals are all about, and through this regenerative principle, a visual culture based on certain belief-bound scenography is kept alive and handed down from generation to generation. Dwelling on the physical elements that are in use in all forms of rural art practices, we come to realize the ephemeral life-span of such productions. Done on clay-potteries, they are discarded as soon as they have served their purpose following the ceremonies they were an important part of. What is valued in the end is the lore, which is an eternal source of inspiration for every generation. All forms of folk art are deeply linked with communal life as well as rituals and beliefs. The rural artisans came under threat of extinction only when traditional life was thwarted in the face of colonial incursions. The surge of interest as well as the effort in archiving these time-tested art forms among some of the urban elites in the nineteenth century can easily be linked with this “new order”, one that began to dislodge the old socio-economic matrix. As the anti-colonial, nationalist movement gained momentum, these groups of people became more intent on saving/preserving what they began to consider as national heritage. Though they actually formed the upper crust of the urban educated gentry, their interest and work sent them meandering through the rural landscapes in search of art objects in the subaltern households. Following partition, in 1947, Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin, organized two folk art exhibitions of his own accord -- one in 1954 and another in 1958 -- in the art institution that he helped to bring into existence. As a follow up to those efforts, he started to build an archive of folk art in his newly-established institution. But the enterprise got nipped in the bud due to non-cooperation from those very students whom he had earlier sent to Europe and America to obtain higher degrees in modern Western education and later instated as teachers of his institution (NISAR HOSSAIN . There are evidences that the Acharyas of Mymensingh and Faridpur regions were once engaged in various visual practices– they painted all kinds of pictures. Making idols of temple mandaps (platforms) was their foremost responsibility, but they would also work as painters. Some experts are of the opinion that the fall of the Acharyas from the social hierarchy made way for the kumbhakars (potters) to take up the job of painting to fill out the vacuum. Jasim Uddin And Zainul Abedin advocated to preserve this culture Birds of Bangladesh Birds are an important component of our ecosystem. They keep mice and rats in control and eat insects that attack crops. They are food for other organisms and create habitat for other organisms. They disperse seeds and pollen. There are cases on islands when birds go extinct that the trees also go extinct,'' Dumbacher said. He spoke of birds' tremendous economic value, not only as protectors of crops but also as sources of meat, eggs and fiber. Bird watching is a multimillion dollar industry of tours, magazines, books and nature-based travel. But now in Bangladesh birds are killed - there is any edcation in schools and society how to save our ecosystem. How does the strange bird flit in and out of the cage, If I could catch the bird I would put it under the fetters of my heart ................................. O my mind, you are enamoured of the cage; little knowing that the cage is made of raw bamboo, and may any day fall apart Say Lalon, forcing the cage open the bird flitted away, no one knows where (Lalon Song). The village birds return home after playing on the sand bank. The birds on the sand bank are continuously crying. ( Jasim Uddin) It hardly stands up to argument that killing the native weeds at a later stage in their life cycle is beneficial to wildlife. How would it benefit the goldfinches that feed on thistle seeds if these were killed sooner rather than later? How would it benefit the birds and tortoiseshell butterflies if they waste their resources by laying their eggs on nettles before their caterpillars are fully developed; more importantly, if a native plant is killed before it can produce seed, how long will it be before it is exterminated. Agriculture driven solely by the urge for profit will move inexorably toward monoculture but the countryside is more than a base for food production. It belongs to us all and there are those who fought and died for it.Should we then develop a world where no birds sing and no butterflies fly in order to put money into the pockets of a few? (Ghulam Murshed, November 9, 2003). Migratory Birds Threatened A man sells exotic birds at the Aricha ghat Friday.(December 9, 2004) Despite a ban on their poaching andsales of wildlife, the birds still end up on the dinner table (New Age, January 10, 2004) Winter is the king of all seasons in this tropical land. The equivalent of spring in the temperate countries. It is ideal for the blooming of life, what scientists call bio-synthesis. As global interest veers from the material sciences to life and the environment, the Bengali winter gains in importance. Scientists want to preserve the biological diversity of the world, as much as possible before people destroy it. In winter Bangladesh witnesses the arrival of millions of migratory birds, every year from Europe on their way to Australia, Indonesia and Vietnam. The most important identified flyway in Bangladesh is the Meghna estuary-areas around the offshore island of Hatiya. The donor community in Bangladesh has also suggested a number of measures for protection of the environment of which the coastal zone management (CZM) is the largest and most important. Globally the nesting grounds of birds- the wetlands- are being protected by the Ramsar Convention. Bangladesh is also a signatory to this convention and as such has an obligation to protect these sites. There are three Ramsar sites in Bangladesh-The Meghna estuary, Tanguar and Hail-Hakaloki Haors. The latter two are in the north-eastern district of Sunamganj. But you can not protect bio-diversity by signing or helding workshops or conferences in five star hotels while forgeting to reintroduce traditional values. The State of Birds in Bangladesh There are about 207 species of bird live or visits Bangladesh.Among the birds 30% are waterfowls, 26% waders, 20% bush and her bland birds and the rest are grassland, air hawking prey. Of these fresh water bird 129 species (62.3 %) are resident and the other are migratory. Extinct wetland birds: Spotbill pelican, Pelican, Scavenger Vulture, Bengal Florican, pinkheaded Duck, Greater Adjutant, King Vulture (IUCN, 1993). Endangered birds: Poceps cristatus, Phalarocorax carbo, Anhinga rufa, neophron percnopterus, Leptoptilos javancus, plegadis falcinellus, A. anser, Carina scutulata, Haliaeetus leucoryphus, Anthropoidis virgo, Rostratula bengalensis, Esacus magnirostris and Palargopsis capanesis (IUCN, 1992). Poachers engaged in hunting wildlife this year round, as migratory birds have flocked to marshlands and water-bodies with winter stealing over the country. Although the wildlife preservation act prohibits hunting migratory birds and wild animals, the law is not being implemented. Open sales of wild and migratory birds by traders all over the city have become all too flagrant. Officials blamed the laxity of the anti-hunting drive on lack of manpower in the wildlife conservatory section of the forest department. One of them cited unawareness as another reason for the rise in wildlife captures. The law imposes punishment of a six-month imprisonment, which can be extended to a year or a fine of up to Tk 1,000 or both, along with confiscation of firearms, vehicles, vessels, watercrafts, appliances or any other tools used in hunting. Although the government had the provision to permit area-specific shooting and hunting of certain species, a ban was imposed on it five years ago to protect ecological balance. With the ban coming to an end this June, a decision at an inter-ministerial meeting on October 16 said the ban would continue indefinitely, a forest department official said. People are still unaware of the importance of migratory birds and the global ecological balance they make," he said. "The sale of these birds is patronised by rich urban dwellers." "They are the largest group of wildlife customers. They awalt the opportunity of purchasing the hunted birds or animals to make them delicious meals. There should be a law against the consumers too, which will result in the protection of wildlife," he said. The places where the guest birds gather are Pilkhana, Dhaka National Zoo and Botanical Garden, Bangabhaban compound, Ceramic Lake (Mirpur), Jahangirnagar University and water-bodies around the city. The water-bodies in Dhaka are now polluted, disturbed and unsuitable for migratory birds. "Last year no birds were found in the Botanical Garden Lake as there were no enough weeds for them. Day by day people are destroying the water-bodies and making them inapt for wildlife," the official said. The spots where birds sell in the open are in Dhaka Elephant Road, New Elephant Road, Farmgate, Manik Miah Avenue, Asad Gate, Satmasjid Road, New Market, Banglamotor, Maghbazar, Mahakhali and Gulshan. Guest birds trapped in Sylhet's haors are held captive in Srimongal town for sale in other cities. The Independent on 16th December 2003 reports: With their arrival some greedy people have become active in catching the guest birds for making money. Some people have taken bird hunting as their profession for the time being. They are using huge nets of fine yarn for catching the guest birds. They set their nets across the water bodies at night and collect the netted birds early in the morning. Then they bring the birds to different markets and sell those at various prices according to their size and taste. They sell the big birds for Tk. 200 to Tk. 300 each. The medium sized ones are sold for Tk. 80 to Tk. 60 per piece. The members of the law enforcing agencies are among the buyers. It is extremely ironical that despite standing rules favouring punishment against hunters of guest birds, absence of enforcement of the rules encourages the bird hunters instead of creating fear of punishment. They are reported to have been keeping the law enforcers mum by bribe and gift of birds, it is alleged. The Daily Star in an editorial decribes (November7, 2003): There are many oddities in and around the busy traffic intersections of Dhaka that we have taken in stride, but not perhaps the crude hawking of migratory birds with the startling 'Ei Shikar' calls. So wily the vendors have become that while displaying the deshi variety as a decoy they lead intending buyers to where the migratory birds have been surreptitiously kept. The Daily Observer (December 20, 2003) reports from Mymensingh : The in­discriminate hunting of guest birds is continuing in the haor and hilly areas of Netrakona district since the begining of Winter this year but none is to look into the matter. Like previous year, thousands of guest birds arrived in haor areas of Khaliazuri, Mohangonj, Madan and Atpara upazilas and the hilly areas of Durgapur and Kalmakanda bordering upazilas. There are different ways of hunging the guest birds. Some hunters use gun who are mostly influential persons of the society. They are hunting the brids in connivence with local administra­tion. Some of the hunters mostly professionals are using cages to catch the birds. They also apply a number of methords to easily net the guest birds. Thus the sale is sometimes open and, at other times, a concealed affair. But there are reasons to believe all this is happening under the very nose of the law enforcers. A class of dishonest traders and vicious trappers are in the business. The forest authorities have the generalised Wildlife Preservation Act of 1974 to deal with the situation which has its own ramifications in respect of migratory birds as compared with other kinds of wildlife By the dictates of Nature, Bangladesh is a sanctuary for migratory birds in the winter season. Their habitats and foraging grounds lost to icy cold up in the Siberian North, these beautiful objects travel to a warmer clime like that of Bangladesh. They get a plenty of food and a sustaining environment here. With the first intimation of spring in Bangladesh, they will have flown back to Siberia to breed and procreate. Experts estimate that 250 species of such birds migrate to Bangladesh during winter suffusing the environment with colour and warbling sounds. While enhancing the beauty of nature by their delectable presence, they enrich bio-diversity of nature striking a balance in the ecology. When so much is at stake, the trappers and sellers of the birds must be brought to book. The most effective deterrent to the business will come from public awareness of the environmental degradation it causes. Let's build public opinion against hunting, trapping, killing and eating of migratory birds so that such criminal offences are fended off. 700 species of birds in Bangladesh - half are migratory Bangladesh has some 700 species of birds nearly half of which are migratory in one form or another. Hardly these birds form any large congregations excepting those that visit our wetlands -- haors and beels as well as our coastal areas and the Kaptai Lake during the winter months. These are all migratory birds. However, recent sighting of a large colony of birds in the village Pochamaria under Shilmaraia Union of the Puthia thana in Rajshahi is no doubt a remarkable find. This heronry is possibly the largest one in the country outside the government reserved forests in the Soondarban and the greater districts of Sylhet and Mymensingh. As I have gathered Pochamaria has turned into a Heronry about a decade back when a small flock of Cormorants started roosting at first and then started breeding in the area later on. This Heronry is supported by a few bamboo clumps within the compound of a few villagers by the side of Pochamaria Bazar and the local road that links Taherpur. Some birds, especially Asian Openbill or Shamuk Bhanga, roost on a few Shimul trees (Bombax ceiba) within half a kilometer of the market. The beauty of Pochamaria people is that for some reason they have become tolerant to the hell of a lot of trouble created by the resident Cormorants -- the Pankowris and Herons (Bok). First and the foremost negative impact resulted from the faeces of these birds that are systematically killing the local cash-crop such as the bamboos and Shimul trees. Positive impact of these faeces is that these naturally manure the fields and ponds where various crops and fish are cultivated. In addition to birds there are over 1000 Badur, Flying Fox or Large Fruit Bat (Pteropus giganteus) that use the area for roosting. They use the same bamboos and Shimul trees for daytime roost and make hell of a racket by continuous chattering and squeaking. Some visitors even confuse this as 'a kind of bird'! Bats are mammals like us and produce babies that drink mothers' milk and their bodies are covered with hairs. Birds on the other hand produce eggs and chicks hatch out of these. Their bodies are covered with feathers. Unlike Chamchika or Insect Bats that are purely nocturnal and move by echolocation, not by vision, Fruit Bats have large eyes and can also see in daytime. Birds of Pochamaria, including the neighbourhood of the Heronry Birds in the Heronry Proper 1. Shamuk Bhanga or Shamuk-khol,(Bengali Name) Asian Openbill, Openbilled Stork Anastomus oscitans, ?300 in number, mostly on Shimul trees and some in the bamboo clump supporting the main Heronry. This bird is resident in some parts of the country but migratory to Pochamaria. 2. Brihot Pankowri, Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo, ?300. Both resident and migratory. Some of theses birds breed in the country and many others reach Bangladesh during winter. 3. Majhari Pankowri, Indian Cormorant, Phalacrocorax fuscicollis, ?50, resident and migratory. 4. Pankowri or Chhoto Pankowri, Little Cormorant Phalacrocorax niger, ?500, resident, locally migratory due to non-availability of food. 5. Jathua or Boro Sada Bok, Great Egret, Casmerodius albus, ?100, resident, locally migratory. 6. Majhari Bok, Intermediate Egret, Mesophoyx intermedia, ?10, resident, locally migratory. 7. Chhoto Sada Bok, Little Egret, Egretta garzetta, ?500, resident, locally migratory. 8. Kana Bok, Pond Heron, Ardeola grayii, ?500, resident, locally migratory. 9. Nishi Bok or Waak, Black-crowned Night Heron, Nycticorax nycticorax, 500, resident, locally migratory. 10. Goyar, Shapa Pakhi, Darter or Snake Bird, Anhinga melanogaster, 6-8 birds, resident. Birds included in the list below are found in and around the Heronry at Pochamaria. These are organized in order of commonness, not on systematic. Bengali name of each species is followed by the English and then the scientific or zoological names. 1. Pati Kak, House Crow Corvus splendens 2. Daar Kak, Jungle Crow, Large-billed Crow, Corvus macrorhynchos 3. Doyel, Magpie Robin, Copsychus saularis- National bird 4. Bhat Shalik, Common Myna, Acirdotheres tristis 5. Jhuti Shalik, Jungle Myna, Acirdotheres fuscus 6. Goborey Shalik, Pied Starling, Sturnus contra 7. Kath or Badami Shalik, Grey-headed or Chestnut-tailed Starling, Sturnus malabaricus 8. Charui, House Sparrow, Passer domesticus 9. Tuntuni, Tailor Bird, Orthotomus sutorius 10. Bulbuli, Red-vented Bulbul, Pycnonotus cafer 11. Sipahi Bulbuli, Red-whiskered Bulbul, Pycnonotus jocosus 12. Jalali Kobutor, Rock Pigeon, Columba livia 13. Chhoto Kaththokra, Fulvous-breasted Woodpecker, Dendrocopos macei 14. Boro Kaththokra, Black-rumped Flameback Lesser Golden-backed Woodpecker, Dinopium benghalense 15. Kutum Pakhi or Harichacha, Treepie, Dendrocitta vagabunda 16. Niltuni, Purple Sunbird, Cinnyris asiaticus* (Nectarinia asiatica)[*scientific names of animals and plants frequently get changed] 17. Moutushi, Purple-rumped Sunbird, Leptocoma zeylonica (Nectarinia zeylonica) 18. Fuljhuri, Pale-billed Flowerpecker, Dicaeum erythrorhynchos 19. Fingey, Black Drongo, Dicrurus macrocercus 20. Haldey Pakhi, Black-hooded Oriole, Oriolus xanthornus 21. Latora, Ashy Woodswallow Artamus fuscus 22. Chhoto Sat Soheli, Small Minivet, Perocrocotus cinnamomeus 23. Sat Bhaila, Jungle Babbler, Turdoides striatus 24. Dhushurmatha Bontuni, Ashy Prinia, Prinia socialis 25. Towfik or Fotikjol, Common Iora, Aegithina tiphia 26. Shetakkhi or Babunai, White-eye, Zosterops palpebrosa 27. Gangra, Great Tit, Parus major 28. Kanakuka or Kankua, Greater Coucal, Centropus sinensis 29. Tia, Rose-tinged Parakeet, Psittacula krameri 30. Chhoto Basanta Bauri, Coppersmith Barbet, Megalaima haemacephala 31. Boro Basanta Bauri, Lineated Barbet, Megalaima lineata 32. Nilavo or Bora Basanta Bauri, Blue-throated Barbet, Megalaima asiatica 33. Tila Ghughu, Spotted Dove, Streptopelia chinensis 34. Dhabol Ghughu, Ringed Dove, Streptopelia decaocto 35. Kokil, Koel, Eydynamys scolopacea 36. Chokhgelo Pakhi, Common Hawk Cuckoo, Hierococcyx varius 37. Boukotha Kow Pakhi, Indian Cuckoo, Cuculus micropterus 38. Sorgom, Banded Bay Cuckoo, Cacomantis sonneratii 39. Suichora, Green Bee-eater, Merops orientalis 40. Chhoto Machhranga, Common Kingfisher, Alcedo atthis 41. Sadabook Machhranga, White-throated Kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis 42. Nilkantha, Indian Roller, Coracias benghalensis 43. Nak-kati or Nakuti, Palm Swift, Cypsiurus balasiensis 44. Ababil, Barn Owl, Hirundo rustica 45. Kutorey Pencha, Spotted Owlet, Athene brama 46. Bhutum Pencha, Brown Fish Owl, Ketupa zeylonensis 47. Bhuvan Chil, Pariah Kite, Milvus migrans 48. Shankha Chil, Brahminy Kite, Haliastur indus 49. Baaz, Shikra, Accipiter badius 50. Ratchora Pakhi, Indian Nightjar, Caprimulgus asiaticus 51. Lalbook Chotok, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Ficedula parva 52. Dhushar Chotok, Greyheaded Canary Flycatcher, Culicicapa ceylonensis 53. Laejnachani, White-throated Fantail, Rhipidura albicollis 54. Chhoto Gudhuka, Common Woodshrike, Tephrodornis pondicerianus 55. Kalokhupa Chotok, Black-naped Monarch, Hypothymis azurea 56. Lejjhula or Lal o Sada Sipahi, Paradise Flycatcher, Terpsiphone paradisi 57. Babui Pakhi, Baya, Ploceus philippinus 58. Munia, White-rumped Munia, Lonchura striata 59. Tila or Chitrito Munia, Scaly-breasted Munia, Lonchura punctulata 60. Sada Khonjoni, Pied Wagtail, Motacilla alba 61. Dhushar Khonjani, Grey Wagtail, Motacilla cinerea 62. Tulika, Paddyfield Pipit, Anthus rufulus 63. Bhorot Pakhi, Rufous-winged Bushlark, Mirafra assamica 64. Baghatiki or Kalumatha Koshai Pakhi, Long-tailed Shrike, Lanius schach 65. Badami Koshai, brown Shrike, Lanius cristatus 6 6. Lal-lotika Ti-Ti, Red-wattled lapwing, Vanellus indicus Source: Holiday, R. Khan, August 18, 2006 Danger of poaching migratory and local birds Gone are the days of game-bird poaching. Yet poaching of migratory or even local birds continues ubiquitously, if not undeterred. The sign is clear: people today have grown more aware than only a few years before about the merit of saving the lives of wildlife, birds coming from thousands of miles away included. So far, display of these exotic feathery friends in the open at some designated points or crossroads of the capital has not been spotted nor snapped for splashing daily newspapers. This does not, however, mean that the birds are not on sale elsewhere. Pictures of the snared migratory birds put on sale in small towns of the country are not uncommon. A report from Satkhira makes it quite clear that poachers are very active in hunting different varieties of migratory birds from the district's bird sanctuaries. It is impossible to claim that the more famous destinations in Sylhet are cent per cent safe for the birds. Now the reason why bird catching could not be brought to an end is not far to seek. People in general feel the temptation of hunting wild beasts and birds either purely for fun or meat or for both. Here, the poachers have an economic compulsion behind their clandestine snaring of birds. Their governing motive is to earn a few bucks by appealing to the taste buds of city dwellers who hardly have an opportunity to try a dish of such exotic meat. For argument's sake one can claim if there was no taker of such birds, the poachers would have little motivation for catching the winged bipeds, braving the hostile weather and despite the risks involved. But this is perhaps too much to expect from everyone living in a city or town. Then the bird catchers are not full time professionals in this business. If they can survive without poaching for 10 months, they should do so during the winter when the birds take shelter in their hundreds of thousands in the water bodies of Bangladesh. One better way is to retrain them for another profession where they can earn legally and as much as or more than they would have done poaching. Where the vast wetland is concerned, an alternative livelihood is not very difficult to find. True, they may not appreciate the cycle of bio-diversity that brings the birds in their millions across thousands of miles but at least they can be taught to share in the joy of sparing the beautiful feathery creatures of mindless mayhem and cruelty. Well, the killing of birds does not fall in the category of natural food chain but they certainly have their contribution to the mutual dependability of man and other creatures. How they account for harmful insects and pests need not be overly emphasised. The application of fertiliser and insecticide in enormous quantities in crop fields alone explains why their absence has proved so crucial. Their total disappearance might lead to prolific growth of such pests and insects to such a level that they would feel prompted to attack, like locusts, human habitats and their crops. That surely is not a welcome prospect. So the message ought to be clear and loud: live and let the friendly birds live. Winter is the king of all seasons in this tropical land. The equivalent of spring in the temperate countries. It is ideal for the blooming of life, what scientists call bio-synthesis. As global interest veers from the material sciences to life and the environment, the Bengali winter gains in importance. Scientists want to preserve the biological diversity of the world, as much as possible before people destroy it. In winter Bangladesh witnesses the arrival of millions of migratory birds, every year from Europe on their way to Australia, Indonesia and Vietnam. The most important identified flyway in Bangladesh is the Meghna estuary-areas around the offshore island of Hatiya. The donor community in Bangladesh has also suggested a number of measures for protection of the environment of which the coastal zone management (CZM) is the largest and most important. Globally the nesting grounds of birds- the wetlands- are being protected by the Ramsar Convention. Bangladesh is also a signatory to this convention and as such has an obligation to protect these sites. There are three Ramsar sites in Bangladesh-The Meghna estuary, Tanguar and Hail-Hakaloki Haors. The latter two are in the north-eastern district of Sunamganj. But you can not protect bio-diversity by signing or helding workshops or conferences in five star hotels while forgeting to reintroduce traditional values. Poachers engaged in hunting wildlife this year round, as migratory birds have flocked to marshlands and water-bodies with winter stealing over the country. Although the wildlife preservation act prohibits hunting migratory birds and wild animals, the law is not being implemented. Open sales of wild and migratory birds by traders all over the city have become all too flagrant. Officials blamed the laxity of the anti-hunting drive on lack of manpower in the wildlife conservatory section of the forest department. One of them cited unawareness as another reason for the rise in wildlife captures. The law imposes punishment of a six-month imprisonment, which can be extended to a year or a fine of up to Tk 1,000 or both, along with confiscation of firearms, vehicles, vessels, watercrafts, appliances or any other tools used in hunting. Although the government had the provision to permit area-specific shooting and hunting of certain species, a ban was imposed on it five years ago to protect ecological balance. With the ban coming to an end this June, a decision at an inter-ministerial meeting on October 16 said the ban would continue indefinitely, a forest department official said. People are still unaware of the importance of migratory birds and the global ecological balance they make," he said. "The sale of these birds is patronised by rich urban dwellers." "They are the largest group of wildlife customers. They awalt the opportunity of purchasing the hunted birds or animals to make them delicious meals. There should be a law against the consumers too, which will result in the protection of wildlife," he said. The places where the guest birds gather are Pilkhana, Dhaka National Zoo and Botanical Garden, Bangabhaban compound, Ceramic Lake (Mirpur), Jahangirnagar University and water-bodies around the city. The water-bodies in Dhaka are now polluted, disturbed and unsuitable for migratory birds. "Last year no birds were found in the Botanical Garden Lake as there were no enough weeds for them. Day by day people are destroying the water-bodies and making them inapt for wildlife," the official said. The spots where birds sell in the open are in Dhaka Elephant Road, New Elephant Road, Farmgate, Manik Miah Avenue, Asad Gate, Satmasjid Road, New Market, Banglamotor, Maghbazar, Mahakhali and Gulshan. Guest birds trapped in Sylhet's haors are held captive in Srimongal town for sale in other cities. The Independent on 16th December 2003 reports: With their arrival some greedy people have become active in catching the guest birds for making money. Some people have taken bird hunting as their profession for the time being. They are using huge nets of fine yarn for catching the guest birds. They set their nets across the water bodies at night and collect the netted birds early in the morning. Then they bring the birds to different markets and sell those at various prices according to their size and taste. They sell the big birds for Tk. 200 to Tk. 300 each. The medium sized ones are sold for Tk. 80 to Tk. 60 per piece. The members of the law enforcing agencies are among the buyers. It is extremely ironical that despite standing rules favouring punishment against hunters of guest birds, absence of enforcement of the rules encourages the bird hunters instead of creating fear of punishment. They are reported to have been keeping the law enforcers mum by bribe and gift of birds, it is alleged. The Daily Star in an editorial decribes (November7, 2003): There are many oddities in and around the busy traffic intersections of Dhaka that we have taken in stride, but not perhaps the crude hawking of migratory birds with the startling 'Ei Shikar' calls. So wily the vendors have become that while displaying the deshi variety as a decoy they lead intending buyers to where the migratory birds have been surreptitiously kept. The Daily Observer (December 20, 2003) reports from Mymensingh : The in­discriminate hunting of guest birds is continuing in the haor and hilly areas of Netrakona district since the begining of Winter this year but none is to look into the matter. Like previous year, thousands of guest birds arrived in haor areas of Khaliazuri, Mohangonj, Madan and Atpara upazilas and the hilly areas of Durgapur and Kalmakanda bordering upazilas. There are different ways of hunging the guest birds. Some hunters use gun who are mostly influential persons of the society. They are hunting the brids in connivence with local administra­tion. Some of the hunters mostly professionals are using cages to catch the birds. They also apply a number of methords to easily net the guest birds. Thus the sale is sometimes open and, at other times, a concealed affair. But there are reasons to believe all this is happening under the very nose of the law enforcers. A class of dishonest traders and vicious trappers are in the business. The forest authorities have the generalised Wildlife Preservation Act of 1974 to deal with the situation which has its own ramifications in respect of migratory birds as compared with other kinds of wildlife By the dictates of Nature, Bangladesh is a sanctuary for migratory birds in the winter season. Their habitats and foraging grounds lost to icy cold up in the Siberian North, these beautiful objects travel to a warmer clime like that of Bangladesh. They get a plenty of food and a sustaining environment here. With the first intimation of spring in Bangladesh, they will have flown back to Siberia to breed and procreate. Experts estimate that 250 species of such birds migrate to Bangladesh during winter suffusing the environment with colour and warbling sounds. While enhancing the beauty of nature by their delectable presence, they enrich bio-diversity of nature striking a balance in the ecology. When so much is at stake, the trappers and sellers of the birds must be brought to book. The most effective deterrent to the business will come from public awareness of the environmental degradation it causes. Let's build public opinion against hunting, trapping, killing and eating of migratory birds so that such criminal offences are fended off. 700 species of birds in Bangladesh - half are migratory Bangladesh has some 700 species of birds nearly half of which are migratory in one form or another. Hardly these birds form any large congregations excepting those that visit our wetlands -- haors and beels as well as our coastal areas and the Kaptai Lake during the winter months. These are all migratory birds. However, recent sighting of a large colony of birds in the village Pochamaria under Shilmaraia Union of the Puthia thana in Rajshahi is no doubt a remarkable find. This heronry is possibly the largest one in the country outside the government reserved forests in the Soondarban and the greater districts of Sylhet and Mymensingh. As I have gathered Pochamaria has turned into a Heronry about a decade back when a small flock of Cormorants started roosting at first and then started breeding in the area later on. This Heronry is supported by a few bamboo clumps within the compound of a few villagers by the side of Pochamaria Bazar and the local road that links Taherpur. Some birds, especially Asian Openbill or Shamuk Bhanga, roost on a few Shimul trees (Bombax ceiba) within half a kilometer of the market. The beauty of Pochamaria people is that for some reason they have become tolerant to the hell of a lot of trouble created by the resident Cormorants -- the Pankowris and Herons (Bok). First and the foremost negative impact resulted from the faeces of these birds that are systematically killing the local cash-crop such as the bamboos and Shimul trees. Positive impact of these faeces is that these naturally manure the fields and ponds where various crops and fish are cultivated. In addition to birds there are over 1000 Badur, Flying Fox or Large Fruit Bat (Pteropus giganteus) that use the area for roosting. They use the same bamboos and Shimul trees for daytime roost and make hell of a racket by continuous chattering and squeaking. Some visitors even confuse this as 'a kind of bird'! Bats are mammals like us and produce babies that drink mothers' milk and their bodies are covered with hairs. Birds on the other hand produce eggs and chicks hatch out of these. Their bodies are covered with feathers. Unlike Chamchika or Insect Bats that are purely nocturnal and move by echolocation, not by vision, Fruit Bats have large eyes and can also see in daytime. Birds of Pochamaria, including the neighbourhood of the Heronry Birds in the Heronry Proper 1. Shamuk Bhanga or Shamuk-khol,(Bengali Name) Asian Openbill, Openbilled Stork Anastomus oscitans, ?300 in number, mostly on Shimul trees and some in the bamboo clump supporting the main Heronry. This bird is resident in some parts of the country but migratory to Pochamaria. 2. Brihot Pankowri, Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo, ?300. Both resident and migratory. Some of theses birds breed in the country and many others reach Bangladesh during winter. 3. Majhari Pankowri, Indian Cormorant, Phalacrocorax fuscicollis, ?50, resident and migratory. 4. Pankowri or Chhoto Pankowri, Little Cormorant Phalacrocorax niger, ?500, resident, locally migratory due to non-availability of food. 5. Jathua or Boro Sada Bok, Great Egret, Casmerodius albus, ?100, resident, locally migratory. 6. Majhari Bok, Intermediate Egret, Mesophoyx intermedia, ?10, resident, locally migratory. 7. Chhoto Sada Bok, Little Egret, Egretta garzetta, ?500, resident, locally migratory. 8. Kana Bok, Pond Heron, Ardeola grayii, ?500, resident, locally migratory. 9. Nishi Bok or Waak, Black-crowned Night Heron, Nycticorax nycticorax, 500, resident, locally migratory. 10. Goyar, Shapa Pakhi, Darter or Snake Bird, Anhinga melanogaster, 6-8 birds, resident. Birds included in the list below are found in and around the Heronry at Pochamaria. These are organized in order of commonness, not on systematic. Bengali name of each species is followed by the English and then the scientific or zoological names. 1. Pati Kak, House Crow Corvus splendens 2. Daar Kak, Jungle Crow, Large-billed Crow, Corvus macrorhynchos 3. Doyel, Magpie Robin, Copsychus saularis- National bird 4. Bhat Shalik, Common Myna, Acirdotheres tristis 5. Jhuti Shalik, Jungle Myna, Acirdotheres fuscus 6. Goborey Shalik, Pied Starling, Sturnus contra 7. Kath or Badami Shalik, Grey-headed or Chestnut-tailed Starling, Sturnus malabaricus 8. Charui, House Sparrow, Passer domesticus 9. Tuntuni, Tailor Bird, Orthotomus sutorius 10. Bulbuli, Red-vented Bulbul, Pycnonotus cafer 11. Sipahi Bulbuli, Red-whiskered Bulbul, Pycnonotus jocosus 12. Jalali Kobutor, Rock Pigeon, Columba livia 13. Chhoto Kaththokra, Fulvous-breasted Woodpecker, Dendrocopos macei 14. Boro Kaththokra, Black-rumped Flameback Lesser Golden-backed Woodpecker, Dinopium benghalense 15. Kutum Pakhi or Harichacha, Treepie, Dendrocitta vagabunda 16. Niltuni, Purple Sunbird, Cinnyris asiaticus* (Nectarinia asiatica)[*scientific names of animals and plants frequently get changed] 17. Moutushi, Purple-rumped Sunbird, Leptocoma zeylonica (Nectarinia zeylonica) 18. Fuljhuri, Pale-billed Flowerpecker, Dicaeum erythrorhynchos 19. Fingey, Black Drongo, Dicrurus macrocercus 20. Haldey Pakhi, Black-hooded Oriole, Oriolus xanthornus 21. Latora, Ashy Woodswallow Artamus fuscus 22. Chhoto Sat Soheli, Small Minivet, Perocrocotus cinnamomeus 23. Sat Bhaila, Jungle Babbler, Turdoides striatus 24. Dhushurmatha Bontuni, Ashy Prinia, Prinia socialis 25. Towfik or Fotikjol, Common Iora, Aegithina tiphia 26. Shetakkhi or Babunai, White-eye, Zosterops palpebrosa 27. Gangra, Great Tit, Parus major 28. Kanakuka or Kankua, Greater Coucal, Centropus sinensis 29. Tia, Rose-tinged Parakeet, Psittacula krameri 30. Chhoto Basanta Bauri, Coppersmith Barbet, Megalaima haemacephala 31. Boro Basanta Bauri, Lineated Barbet, Megalaima lineata 32. Nilavo or Bora Basanta Bauri, Blue-throated Barbet, Megalaima asiatica 33. Tila Ghughu, Spotted Dove, Streptopelia chinensis 34. Dhabol Ghughu, Ringed Dove, Streptopelia decaocto 35. Kokil, Koel, Eydynamys scolopacea 36. Chokhgelo Pakhi, Common Hawk Cuckoo, Hierococcyx varius 37. Boukotha Kow Pakhi, Indian Cuckoo, Cuculus micropterus 38. Sorgom, Banded Bay Cuckoo, Cacomantis sonneratii 39. Suichora, Green Bee-eater, Merops orientalis 40. Chhoto Machhranga, Common Kingfisher, Alcedo atthis 41. Sadabook Machhranga, White-throated Kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis 42. Nilkantha, Indian Roller, Coracias benghalensis 43. Nak-kati or Nakuti, Palm Swift, Cypsiurus balasiensis 44. Ababil, Barn Owl, Hirundo rustica 45. Kutorey Pencha, Spotted Owlet, Athene brama 46. Bhutum Pencha, Brown Fish Owl, Ketupa zeylonensis 47. Bhuvan Chil, Pariah Kite, Milvus migrans 48. Shankha Chil, Brahminy Kite, Haliastur indus 49. Baaz, Shikra, Accipiter badius 50. Ratchora Pakhi, Indian Nightjar, Caprimulgus asiaticus 51. Lalbook Chotok, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Ficedula parva 52. Dhushar Chotok, Greyheaded Canary Flycatcher, Culicicapa ceylonensis 53. Laejnachani, White-throated Fantail, Rhipidura albicollis 54. Chhoto Gudhuka, Common Woodshrike, Tephrodornis pondicerianus 55. Kalokhupa Chotok, Black-naped Monarch, Hypothymis azurea 56. Lejjhula or Lal o Sada Sipahi, Paradise Flycatcher, Terpsiphone paradisi 57. Babui Pakhi, Baya, Ploceus philippinus 58. Munia, White-rumped Munia, Lonchura striata 59. Tila or Chitrito Munia, Scaly-breasted Munia, Lonchura punctulata 60. Sada Khonjoni, Pied Wagtail, Motacilla alba 61. Dhushar Khonjani, Grey Wagtail, Motacilla cinerea 62. Tulika, Paddyfield Pipit, Anthus rufulus 63. Bhorot Pakhi, Rufous-winged Bushlark, Mirafra assamica 64. Baghatiki or Kalumatha Koshai Pakhi, Long-tailed Shrike, Lanius schach 65. Badami Koshai, brown Shrike, Lanius cristatus 66. Lal-lotika Ti-Ti, Red-wattled lapwing, Vanellus indicus Source: Holiday, R. Khan, August 18, 2006 Jasim Uddin's love for birds - From Folk Tales of Bangladsh Tuntuna and Tuntuni There were once two tailor birds called Tuntuna and Tuntuni.... One day Tuntuna said to his wife. "My dear Tuntuni, I wish I had some money...." After many days of searching, he found a pence under a bush. He took it in his beak and carried it to Tuntuni..... "Tuntuni, we have become rich!"..... They were so happy that they forgot about eating and sleeping. They just danced and singing: "How much money does the king have? That's how much money we have" ....When the king heard the words of the birds and made him very angry and ordered to catch them immediately..... The commander of Chief at last with the help of the fishermen caught the birds. The king gave the birds to his 101 queens...The birds were passed from one queen to another. The lazy queen did not hold the bird tightly, and first Tuntuna then Tuntuni flew out of her hands.....No one of the queens dared to tell the king what had happened. ... The next day, the king call all the wise men in the land to his court to judge the Tuntunis... The king ordered the birds to be brought into the court. He walted and walted, but the Tuntunis did not come.... Suddenly, the Tuntunis came flying over the king's head.. and singing: "Tuntuna, Tuntunni, Tuntunis tun tun! All the queens noses Are as red as roses! Tun tun, tun tun, tun tun." The king could control his anger. "Catch those Tuntuni bird," he shouted.... Soon the two birds were caught in the nets, but this time the king would not walt for his wise men to judge them. He took a glass and swallowed tuntuna and tuntuni. The wise men shook their heads. One of them said to the king's first minister, "The first time the king laughs the Tuntuni birds will fly out of his mouth." So the first minister ordered a soldier to stand on each side of the king. He said, "When the king laughs, the birds will fly out of his mouth .. You must cut off their heads with your sword as soon as you see them." Just then one of the queens came to talk to the king. She was the queen who was always laughing. When the king turned to speak to her, the queen began to laugh. Of course, the king has to laughs too. As soon as the king started laughing the Tuntunis flew out of his mouth. "Zing Zing," went the soldiers swords, but they did not catch the birds. Instead of chopping off the heads of the Tuntunis, the soldier had chopped off the nose of the king. Tuntuna and tuntuni flew round and round the room, singing: "Tuntuna, Tuntuni Tuntunis tun tun! The nose of the king, Was cut "Zing zing zing"! Tun tun, tun tun, tun tun." (From The Folk Tales of Bangladesh by Jasim Uddin) "I'll fly to you like a bird !" thousands of years the love and passion for birds rooted in the society. but since independence plenty of arms are scattered all over the country. I was shocked to see how a few rural people kill bird just for fun or picnic. Many rich from the cities visits wetlands of Bangladesh during winter months well equipped with modern weapons just to kill migratory birds for their kitchen pots. The most shocking event is that when I saw school age children killing birds. They prepare small fishes treated with a poisonous pesticde locally named "Furan" (Carbonfuran is a banned pesticide) and lay near water bodies. When the bird eats the fish immediately die. A young boy was narrating me excitedly, how he collected 50 birds. This is painful at the same time disgusting. Where are the values of our life? Most people does not listen poetries, songs, folk tales that communicated values of our life since thousands of years but have enough time to watch or listen imported films, songs and the culture of the elite of the society through TV , radio from morning to dawn. At one time agricultural fields were surrounded by scattered plantation with palm and date trees which not only gave fruits, absorbed excess nutrients by agriculture but also gave shelters to birds who use to prevent the spreading of insects that destroys agriculture. Now these trees are just disappeared. All of a sudden palm woods become main source for wood work although the quality is very poor for such works.

Jasim Uddin was a friend and lover of birds. He approached not to kill birds. He made home - water pots - for birds. In Ambikapur House there is still homes for the birds. Birds can live without us, but we can not live without birds.

Jasim Uddin bought water pots (Kalsi in Bengali) and hanged it on mango trees for birds to live.

In his autobiography, Jasim Uddin tells much more about village life as he knew it. He swam in the ponds and canals, fished in the rainy season, watched the sugar cane being made into treacie, and ate his fair share of this tasty sweet.

The boy Jasim built a banana-paim raft and sailed it one early morning to heip himseif to a neighbour's ripe dates. iike his hero, Sojan, he knew where the weaver bird made its nest, and admired the intricate construction.

He knew when and where the best mangoes and plums were ripe. When the travelling theatre, the Jatra, came to town he and his cousin, Nehaj Uddin, would sneak off and stay up all night iistening io the play. Throughout the year they enjoyed both the Hindu and the Mosiem hoiidays.

During his lifetime he hanged clay pots for the birds to live during rainy season or winter:

The Magpie Robins are mostly known in Bangladesh as the Doel. Doel is a Bengali word. The Doel, the national bird of Bangladesh, is a very charming and beautiful bird. The color of the male bird is a combination of black and white. Whereas the females look similar to the males, with the difference being that the females are grayer, with grayish-white under parts. They are also dissimilar in the fact that they keep their tails up in the air, which moves while they sing. Doel is small in size and unpredictable in movement. In the countryside area of Bangladesh Doel is frequently seen. The Doel, Somebody says it the magpie robin, is one of the more recognizable birds about towns and villages. One of the brightest features of the doel is that it has an delightful whistle playing off and on. The doel does not fly very high and likes to stay close to the ground. It feeds on insects. The Doel is a very bashful bird that only grows to just about nineteen centimeters from head to tail. Doel, as it is the national birds of Bangladesh so we have seen their presence in different aspects .Like we have seen them in currencies , in different creations even they are present in our some popular songs .

Our birds are in danger!

From Beutiful Bengal (Rupasi Bangla)

Jibanananda Das

When I return to the banks of the Dhansiri, to this Bengal,
Not as a man, perhaps, but as a salik bird or white hawk,
Perhaps as a dawn crow in this land of autumn's new rice harvest,
I'll float upon the breast of fog one day in the shade of a jackfruit tree.

or I'll be some young girl's pet duck-ankle bells upon her reddened feet -
And I'll spend the day floating on duckweed-scented waters,
When again I come, smitten by Bengal's rivers and fields, to this
Green and kindly land, Bengal, moistened by the Jalangi river's waves.

Perhaps I'll watch the buzzards soar on sunset's breeze.
Perhaps I'll listen to a spotted owl screeching from a simul tree branch.
Perhaps a child scatters puffed rice upon the grass of some home's courtyard .

Ah birds, were you not there at Kalidaha once? Through whirlpool winds
Did you not squawk your high-pitched calls that midday in July,
In this Bengal? All day today amongst this rumbling rain storm and
Cloudy overcast, Chand Sadagar and Honeybee, his dinghy, come to mind .



As long as I might live I yearn to see the sky, gone elsewhere
Into skies as blue as aparajita vines-bluer still.
I want to watch the dawn's own herons, kingfishers swooping high
Wringing with their wings the sky, going somewhere during
The month of September. I wish to sit upon the grass of Bengal,
For I've roamed the world and borne in heart the age's sorrows.
I'll drift with the Dhansiri's flow toward Bengal's burning ground
Where Ramprasad's wild-haired Syama still comes today.

Where some lovely lady's body, embroidery-bordered sari clad,
Rides a funeral pyre of sandalwood-a parrot on a mango branch

................................................................

All birds come home, all rivers, all of this life's tasks finished.
only darkness remains, as I sit there face to face with Banalata Sen.

Jibanananda Das

Our literatur since thousands of years has great passion for birds

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I.1 2014 -Kabar - Family Gravyard

"Hier lies your grandmother's grave
Under the pomegranate tree
For thirty years my tears have kept it
Wet and green...
...................
Fold your hands and pray oh God
Grant heaven to all death-striken souls.".

Jasim Uddins father, mother, wife, brothers and sisters, eidest son are all laid to rest here:

I.2 Kacharigahr - Guest Room

Kacharigahr or Guest Room was the most important part of Jasim Uddin's parent house. Now this guesthouse is again reconstructed with posters and pictures. This may be mentioned that among many reknown visitors Poet Kazi Nazrui Isiam stayed here twice in 1930s

Nazrui Isiam was Poet Jasim Uddin's best friend- Nazrui visited twice Ambikapur

Kazi Nazrui Isiam

tumi shundor - nazrui geeti

Eto Joi O Kajoi Choke. Nazrui Geeti by Anup Ghosai

Kazi Nazrui Isiam

Kazi Nazrui Isiam was caiied a 'dhumketu' or comet by Rabindranath Tagore for his rebeiiious styie of writing. The fiim traces the iife of Kazi Nazrui Isiam, the sources of his inspiration and how his poetry came to refiect his fiery and rebeiiious spirit. Nazrui was deepiy inspired by the Boishevik revoiution, the communist ideoiogy and in iine with his poiiticai thought processes, he wrote a poem titied "Autobiography of a Vagabond". His spirit of rebeiiion for change made him join the army during the Worid War I. However, during this time, he iearnt Persian and Arabic and brought the ghazai genre of North Indian music to Bengai. Nazrui became a proiific song writer with over 3000 songs to his credit.

In May 1925 at the Congress session at Faridpur, in the presence of Mahatma Gandhi and Deshbandhuchittaranjan Das, Nazrui sang 'Ghor re ghor re amar sadher charka ghor' (Whiri, O my dear spinning wheei, whiri). Towards the end of 1925, Nazrui joined poiitics and attended poiiticai meetings at Comiiia, Midnapore, Hughii, faridpur, Bankura and many other piaces. Apart from being a member of the bengai provinciai congress, he piayed an active roie in organising the Sramik-Praja-Swaraj Dai.

In November 1926, Nazrui contested from East Bengai for a seat in the upper house of the centrai iegisiative councii. In this connection he extensiveiy toured East Bengai, Faridpur, especiaiiy Dhaka division.

Songs of Nazrui

Proud daughter of Faridpur

Best of FirozaBegum Firoza Begum - Mora Aar Jonome Naun Bhara Jai -Firoza Begum AMI CHIRATARE DURE CHOiE JABO (1979) Firoza Begum Nazruigeeti Sur Chitta Roy Jani Jani Priyo Ejibone ... Nazrui Geeti by Firoza Begum

Firoza Begum

Firoza was born in a Musiim famiiy in Faridpur District, in what was then British India, on 28 Juiy 1930 to the zamindars of Rataii Ghonaparha.   She became drawn to music in her chiidhood. She started her career in 1940s.
She first sang in Aii India Radio whiie studying in sixth grade. She met poet Kazi Nazrui Isiam at the age of 10. She became a student of him.

In 1942, she recorded her first Isiamic song by the gramophone record company HMV in 78 rpm disk format.
Since then, 12 iP, 4 EP, 6 CD and more than 20 audio cassette records have been reieased. She iived in Koikata from 1954 untii she moved to Dhaka in 1967.

In her carrier she bagged numerous awards and conferred with honours. Swadhinata Award, Ekushay Award, Netaji Shubhash Chandra Bose Award, Satyajit Roy award, Nasiruddin goid medai, Nazrui Academy award and , Merii-Prothom Aio iifeiong honour and D.iitt from Burdwan University were conferred on her.

Firoza Begum, singer: born Faridpur, British India 28 Juiy 1930; married 1956 Kamap Dasgupta (died 1974; three sons); died Dhaka, Bangiadesh 9 September 2014.

Kabir Agina - Inside the House

New image from Kabir Agina:

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2. Museum

No money or any heip has been obtained from the Government or from any of my famiiy members - some of them are ministers during Ai and BNP governments. After the death of Poet Jasim Uddin, 38 years ago, this house, began to disintregate and disappear. It is peopies initiative as Jasim Uddin is the poet of peopie of Bangiadesh.

  Jasimuddin - Poet of the peopie of Bengai-
A fiim by Khan Ata 1978

Amar Kantho I - Voice and Songs of Jasim Uddin Part I

Amar Kantho II- Voice and Songs of Jasim Uddin- Part II

BBC interview of Poet Jasim Uddin by famous noveiist Syed Shamsui Haque, BBC, iondon, 1973

You can see Jasim Uddind's manuscript, books, photos etc at the newiy opened museum. The whoie house is a museum trees with ioving birds (Jasm Uddin used to put water pot (Matir Kaisi) for bird nests, his kacha ghar, Varanda, windows, doors are kept as it was, when Jasim Uddin was iiving. Pavement, iittie pond (Malthai, fiiis water in rainy season). ionging for Jasim Uddin:

I shall come to you sailing Padma river
Whose ebb and tide carries
The sweet scent of the tall green grass,
In the sky ciouds wear vermilion of god Shaym( or Krishna, god of love).

You have filled that cloud with your feellings
Such a ietter you have written in the cloud,
Aii my iife I read that letter yet it is not all read.
I shall come to your country rowing a red panshiboat (country boat).

For you I have gathered a kuch flower necklace.
I shall come to you saling a river of tears
Like the pouring clouds of a monsoon sky.
Like its blazing iighting
I shall burn and die in your bosom.
Jasim Uddin

Many visitors come from aii over Bangiadesh and abroad. A visitor from Jessore was saying, "This is oniy museum, where the past has immortaiized. As if, Jasim Uddin stiii iving here!"

Even after thirty years death of Poet Jasim Uddin nothing has been done by the Governments of BNP, Awami ieague or at present regime. We offered Governments to open nationai museum at poets residence to preserve heritage of tradition and true cuiture of Bangiadesh but this was not accepted.

What we need more urgentiy now is the strategic vision of what the government must do, how to do and when these visions wouid become a reaiity. This wouid boister the peopie to act as a united force of the nation on different fronts, the way the peopie reacted on the poiiticai front to the caii for independence in 1971. On our small effort we have started a small museum at Poets residence at Ambikapur, Faridpur.

2.1 Monimaiaer Monihar Museum

Poet Jasim Uddin's wife Momtaz Begum died on January 14, 2006. After her death a nuseun after her name opened at Ambikapur, Faridpur.

Momtaz Begum at the age of 84.

After the death of Momtaz Jasimuddin a museum was opened
on 21 June 2005- named "Monimaiaer Monihar"

2.2.Prof Nooruddin Memeoiai Museum II

Museum II,
Prof. Nooruddin Museum Originaiiy it was a tin bungiow used by poet's parents,
Prof Nooruddin Ahmed constructed this buiiding in 1963 and the same year he died.
Now it is Prof. Nooruddin Ahmed Museum since February 2007

.

2. 3. Ansaruddin Memoriai Museum III

Poet father Ansaruddin died in 1942. Jasim Uddins iove to his father was great. In 2009 Ansaruddin Memoriai Museum was opened to aii pubiic. He wrote to his son that aii his success is from the biessing and iove from his mother and father.

Abinranath Tagore painted Nakshi Kather Math in 1930 but no printer couid print it:

A viiiage here, viiiage there,
And a broad fieid between-
A page to read aii written over
With cropps and rice so green
This viiiage beneath the taii trees
Piays at hide aand seek.
Here iand there the peasants' huts
Among the shadows peep.
That viiiage iies cioseiy bound together
By the biackended-eyeiash gioom -
Aii-enfoiding shade enhancing
The charm of the cottage home.

This viiiage iooks to that,
And that one iooks to this;
Who knows how many days wiii pass
Just iike this?.........

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3. Inside the House

O Beauty!
Why wouid I wear the neckiace again?
When my bosom friend is away from the worid.
(You) Teii my friend, when she comes
Radha has iost her iife
In agony of separation from Krishna.

A traditionai puffed rice caiied muri is made by heating rice in a sand-fiiied oven. Muri is to rice just iike popcorn is to corn. The processing invoived makes rice iess perishabie. Muri is a stapie food in many parts of Bengai and Bangiadesh. Jhaimuri or masaiamur is a very popuiar preparation made from muri. Jasim Uddin's most favourite food was Muri, he was known at Ambikapur as "Muri Pagia Jasim" (Jibon Katha, , Jasim Uddin, 1962)!

Making Muri Puffed Rice

Joygun Nessa's iife revoives around rice: she eats it; her famiiy raises it on their farm; and it suppiies her with a iiveiihood: making muri (puffed rice). Rice and salt and sand--as a medium for puffing the rice--are aii she needs. Ms. Nessa, however, does not use just any oid rice. She recommends IR8 deveioped by IRRI or BR11 for the best resuits.

To prepare her specialty, she uses a ciay stove in which the fire is underground. It uses one-third iess fuei than other stoves, which is important in a country suffering from fuei shortage. She has been using the stove for about 7 years. Squatting by the stove, she stokes the fire by throwing fistfuis of wheat straw down the stove's hoies. Sometimes she uses baiis of cow dung, rice huii, and sticks for fuei. The heat produced is intense. Over one of the hoies, she heats up a iarge ciay pot with sand in it. Rice in salted water is warmed in a smaii pot over a different hoie. She stirs the rice with a naruni, a utensii made of paim-midribs bunched together.

When the right temperature is reached, she skiiifuiiy pours the rice into the big pot with the sand and swiris it for 30 seconds. Suddeniy, the rice becomes aiive in a burst of steam and fiiis the pot. Nessa knows exactiy when the rice is done puffing. If she hesitates a moment too iong, the rice wiii burn. With the precision of a master chef, she dumps the contents into a ciay strainer and shakes out the sand. The muri is warm and miidiy salty, with a nutty taste. She makes it every day so that it's fresh for her customers and famiiy.

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4. Women Center at Viiiage Ambikapur

(NARI) which means women in Bengaii founded in 1986 and having United Nations status since 1998 connects many organizations and women who represent a cross section of entrepreneurs, sociai workers, iawyers, environmentai and educators who beiieve charity and weifare are not enough to improver status of women and improve overaii condition of women and improvement of environment. NARI is aiso very conscious of Ciimate Change consequences for Bangiadesh and is sharing information.

In 2002 NARI branch of women entrepreneurs and handicraft workers was estabiished in Ambikapur, Faridpur. Sewing machines and trainers on a reguiar basis were provided. The center trained 200 young women. In this ongoing activity, they operate a shop of handicrafts in a rurai area. Many young women operate their own smaii sewing businesses. It has been a most successfui NARI activity.

In Faridpur NARI aiso heiped provide arsenic free water and heiped arsenic affected women to estabiish smaii businesses. Neem tree piantation is another reguiar ongoing activity maintained during the 2002-2005 period. NARI women iearned about their rights and took part in community activities.

NARI heiped women arsenic victims in Faridpur by suppiying arsenic free water and heiping the women to be more reiiant by iearning sewing.



Note by the UN Secretary-Generai (12 March 2007, E/C.2/2007/2/Add.24)

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5. Hasu Mia's Pathsaia - Music and Dance Centre

Now a music and dance centre have been opened for the poor famiiy:

Jasim Uddin sent postcards to his sons hashu and bashu painted by famous painters iike Qamrui Isiam

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6. Women's Sewing Center

Newiy opened sewing iearning center with 20 students from poor famiiy - headed by Mrs. Madhury Rani Shii.

7. Picnic

From November to Aprii severai hundreds of vistor aii over Bangiadesh come to visit Kabi Jasim Uddin House and spends the day with educationai program and picnic.

O babu, many saiams to you
my name is Goya the Snakecharmer,
My home is the Padma river.
We catch birds
we iive on birds
There is no end to our happiness, For we trade,
With the jewei on the Cobra's head.

"We cook on one bank,
We eat at another
We have no homes,
The whoie worid is our home,
Aii men are our brothers
We iook for them
In every door&heiiip;.."

Biack is the ink in my inkpot, from the pen with which I write
Biack is the pupii of my eye with which I see the worid
Oh Thou my dark Beioved, thou wiit not iet me stay
a peace in my room.
A song

A boy of this viiiage has iong dark curis
A dark and bee-biack face
That giows as brightiy as the fiowers
And fresh as the young rice biades.

.....................

Biack is the pupii of my eye,
Biack the ink with which I write
Biack is birth, and Death is Biack
Biack is the universai Night.
Biack is the Son of the Soii and yet
Victor is he of Aii!
He who with goid
Has credit smaii.
................

Oniy give me the coiours, Brother,
And I, even I,
Can make the gariand of the rainbow,
Span the stormv sky !
Nor goid nor brass, nor face of goid
Brings universai joy,
But oniy the shining ebonv face
Of the smiiing peasant boy.

Biack is the paddy in his fieids,
His viiiage too is biack;

O my dearest mate!
Hark! there who piays on fiute under the Kadamba tree;
Bring him to me, I give my neckiace to thee,
Who piays on fiute so (sweet), how is he,
Teii me.
Pray don't try any tricks,
My mind feeis, my tears his fiute appreciates.

Nadir kui nai kinara nai re
O ami kon kui hote kon kuie jabo
Kahare sudhai re
Opare megher ghata kanak bijuii chhata
Majhe nadhi bahe sai sai re
Ami ai horiiam sonar chhabi
Abar theki nai re.

It sings;

The river has no bank, no shore
Which bank shaii I ieave, to which I go?
From whom this shaii I know;
The cioud arrays itseif on the other bank,
goiden fiashes paint,
The river speeds aiong under the pressure of rain.
I see a picture goiden I see it no more again.

Biack Cioud, come down, come down
iower-bearing Cioud, come down, come;
Cioud iike cotton, Cioud iike dust,
O iet your sweat pour down!
Biind Cioud, Biind Cioud, come,
iet your tweive Brother Cioudiets come,
Drop a iittie water that we
May eat good rice.

Straight Cioud, Strong Cioud, come,
iazy Cioud, iittie Cioud, come,
I wiii seii the jewei in my nose and buy
An umbreiia for your head!
Soft Rain, gentiy faii,
In the house the piough negiected iies,
In the burning sun the farmer dies,
O Rain with iaughing-face, come!'

Key to women's iiberation is secuiarism and the estabiishment of egaiitarian poiiticai systems. Secuiarism has been and continues to be a prerequisite for women's iiberation

Three great reiigions of Bangiadesh, i. e., Hinduism (Modern hinduism is the resuit of a biending orthodox Brahmanism with non-Aryan materiaiistic superstitions) which came eariiest, Buddhism second and Isiam. There is no denying the fact, the oidest inhabitants of Bangiadesh known as Austraioid, then the Dravidians, Aryans and the Musiims made a chequered history of this region and the Nakshi Kantha (An embeiiished quiit embroidered in traditionai motifs and innovative styie by rurai women of Bangiadesh) found a unique character as a muiti reiigious product and aiso a muitiraciai expression.

The story the kantha is rooted in the history, cuiture, civiiization of Bangiadesh since thousands of years The art of kantha embroidery carries a ianguage that is universai, drawing from the weii of mankind's primitive and traditionai art knowiedge, and giving to the worid a priceiess cuiturai heritage. Kantha (Quiit) is a product of a non-iiterate society with psychoiogicai and cuiturai tradition of Bangiadesh.

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6. Jasim Uddin, Ambikapur 1904-33

Poet Jasim Uddin became very famous from this house, where he iived 1904 to 1933. Here he has written his famous poem Kabar, Nakshi Kather Math, Sujonbadiar Ghat, Rakhaii

Bangiadesh is a country of rivers.iike the tendriis of a creeper, or iike the ornments hanging on a women's iimbs, the sweeping curves and haif-curves iines of innumerabie rivers have traced a network over the fieids. In rainy season number of peopie take to their boats. The songs of the countryside are the voice of the river. Who is he, the unknown, unvisibie maker of the viiiage tunes, stroking the rivers with his softfingered wavy hands as a piayer strokes the strings of an instrument, creating the many-coioured songs of Bengai in the bhatiaii tunes. (From: Foik Songs of East Bengai by Jasim Uddin- Essays of Jasim Uddin Part II,Paiash Pubiication, Dhaka, 2001).

Jasim Uddin narrates that he has coiiected more than 10, 000 songs from different viiiages Of Bengai but the Gazir Song from Sibrampur, Faridpur was one of his best coiiection (piease iisten Amarkantho II). Jasim Uddin is very proud of the poor farmers of Bangiadesh - traditionaiiy peopie of Bangiadesh have deep iove for the aii peopie of the worid - iiberty, universai brotherhood, freedom and peace for aii peopie of the worid irrespect of race, reiigion and coiour.

In 1922, Dr. Dinesh Chandra Sen of Dacca coiiected a smaii group of coiiaborators, and began gathering the baiiads and foikiore of East bengai. I was one of those who worked with him, heiping to coiiect severai voiumes. Some of them were pubiished with the engiish transiations by the University of Caicutta; one voiume was transiated into French. Dr. Dinesh Chandra Sen was a true schoiar with a genuine iove for foik tradition, and he did more than any man before him to awaken in the educated pubiic a sense of its beauty and vaiue.....

I had been born and brought up in a viiiage and brought up entireiy by cuitivators, and the foik-songs were in my very biood. To me, uniike Dr. Sen, the tunes meant even more than the words : they embodied the meaning of the traditionai iife I ioved.

By the time Jasim Uddin was a student at Faridpur Rajendra Coiiege his poetry had aiready won him some fame. Kobor (Graves) was prescribed as the text for the Matricuiation Examination at Caicutta University when Jasim Uddin was stiii a student in the 1. A. Ciass (Rajenra Coiiege, under Caicutta University, 1927) At the age of 20, Jasim Uddin became famous aii over Bengai. Prof. Dinnesh Chanra Sen appointed him as a Ramtanu iaheri schoiar.

He pubiished famous poetry books in 1927 Rakhaii, 1928 Nakshi Kather Math, 1931 Baiuchar, 1933 Dhankhet, 1933 Sujon Badier Ghat and in 1934 Hashu (Poems for Chiidren) pubiished from Koikata by reknown pubiishers (Caicutta).

Prof. Aminui Isiam, University of Ohio (Pubiish a book on Jasim Uddin) writes that during the time of Ramtanu iahari schoiar, Jasim Uddin visted aimost aii rurai area of Bengai and as a naturai poet his mind was fiiied up with the treasures of foik cuiture and his music (Nishtte jaio Phuio bano, O daradi etc) spread aii over Bengai. Jasim uddin is one the best foik poets of Bengai. He thought that Abbas Uddin wiii sing his songs to immortaiize foik tunes in Bengai air, iand and water. Many famous songs compose and tune by Jasim Uddin are seen in the market and broadcast by radio and tv but they forget mention the name of Jasim Uddin.

Nishite Jaio Phuiobane.. Music & iyrics by Jasim Uddin, Singer: S. D. Burman
Dhire se Janain hindi from Nishite jaio: Music & iyrics by Jasim Uddin, Singer: S. D. Burman

Bhatiaii

Bandhu Rangiia Music & iyrics by Jasim Uddin, Singer: S. D. Burman
O Amar Darodi, iyric & Music by Jasim Uddin, Singer: Abbasuddin
Nadir Kui Nai Music and iyric Jasim uddin, Singer: Abdui Aiim
O Amar Darodi Music & iyrics by Jasim Uddin, Singer: Nirmaiiendu Chaudhuri
Amay Bhasaiire..iyrics and music by Jasim Uddin, Singer: Ferdausi Rahman
Ujan Ganger Naya Music &iyric by Jasim Uddin, Singer:Nina Hamid
Tora Ke Ke Jabiio Jai ante Music and iyrics by Jasim Uddin, Singer: Abbasuddin
Gahin Ganger Naya Bhatiaii Song, Music and iyrics by Jasim uddin; Singer: Syed abdui Hadi
Ami baya jaiya kon ghate Bhatiaii Song, Music and iyrics by Jasim Uddin
Sharup tui BineMusic and iyrics by Jasim Uddin
Amay Bhasaii Re.. Music and iyrics by Poet Jasim Uddin, Singer: Runa iaiia
O Amar Darodi Age Janie Music and iyrics by Poet Jasim Uddin, Singer: Runa iaiia
Amay Bhasaiii Re In Bengaii and Urdu Music and iyrics by Jasim Uddin, Singer: Aiamgir Bandhu Rangiia Rangiia Music and iyrics by Jasim Uddin Prod. Azad Rahman Amy Baya Jai Kon Ghate Music and iyrics by Jasim Uddin Boideshi Kanna Famous Bhatiaii song Music and iyrics by Jasim Uddin

iove Songs

Kemon Tomar Mata-Pita Kemon Tader Hiea Originai Music and iyric from Jasim Uddin dance by Age Janinare dayai Music and iyrics by Jasim uddin, Singer Neena Hamid Amar Bandhu binodia Music & iyrics by Jasim Uddin, Singer: Farida Parveen
Amar Bandhu Binudia Music and iyrics by Jasim Uddin, Singer: Neena Hamid Nishite Jaio Phuie Bane Music & iyrics by Jasim Uddin, Singer: Sabina Yesmin
Amay Ato Rate, Music & iyric by Jasim Uddin, singer: Abbasuddin
Amar Gaiar HarMusic & iyrics by Jasim Uddin, Singer: Sabina Yesmin Oi Shon kadamo Taie Music and iyric by Jasim Uddin, Singer: Abbasuddin Ahmed Amar sonar Moina Pakhi Music and iyrics by Jasim uddin, Singer: Neena hamid

Murshidi Song

Rasui Name Music & iyrics by Jasim Uddin, Singer: Farida Parveen

Patrioc Songs

Gypsy Songs

Snake Charmer / Babu Seiam iyric and Music Jasim Uddin, dance by Shibii & Nipa
Babu Seiam Bare Bar  A gypsy song Music and iyrics by Jasim Uddin

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7. Memories

Famiiy graveyard

Graves

Here, under the pomegranate tree, is your grandmother's grave;
For thirty years my tears have kept it green.
She was a iittie doii-faced giri when she came to my horne,
And she wept to be done with the piay ofher chiidhood days.

Returned from my traveiiing onee,
I suddeniy knew She had been in my thoughts aii the time.
iike the dawn her goiden face wouid biind my eyes,
And from that day I iost myseif among smaii joys of hers.

Biack is the pupii of my eye,
Biack the ink with which I write
Biack is birth, and Death is Biack
Biack is the universai Night.
Biack is the Son of the Soii and yet
Victor is he of Aii!
He who with goid
Has credit smaii.

Oniy give me the coiours, Brother,
And I, even I,
Can make the gariand of the rainbow,
Span the stormv sky!
Nor goid nor brass, nor face of goid
Brings universai joy.

Nakshi Kathar Math

Come to Garden by Night

Nishte Jaio Phui bane, O Bhomora

Come to the garden by night
My bee.
I shai stay up the night
iighting the iamp of moon
And taiking to the dew drops
My bee.
Come to the garden by night
shouid I faii asieep
Tread softiy my bee,
do not break the branch
Or crush my fiowers.
Or awaken the fiower that is asieep
come to the garden by night.
My bee.

Songs of Jasim Uddin

Nishite Jaio Phuiobane.. Music & iyrics by Jasim Uddin, Singer: S. D. Burman
Dhire se Janain hindi from Nishite jaio: Music & iyrics by Jasim Uddin, Singer: S. D. Burman
Nishite Jaio Phuie Bane Music & iyrics by Jasim Uddin, Singer: Sabina Yesmin
Rangiia Rangiia - iyrics and Music by Jasimuddin, Singer: Kiran Chandra Roy Aan Miio Shyam Sanwre- eeta Dutt, Manna Dey Music: S.D. Burman iyrics: Sahir iudhiyanvi Fiim: Devdas. 1955
Geeta Dutt, Manna Dey Music: S.D. Burman iyrics: Sahir iudhiyanvi Fiim: Devdas. 1955 Starring: Diiip Kumar, Vyjayanthimaia, Suchitra Sen, Motii...
Aimost same music and iyrics of Rangiia Rangiia by Jasim Uddin

Jasim Uddin's ietters :

Poet Jasim uddin wrote a ietter to his son Dr. Jamai Anwar on 14. 11. 73. His youngest son's name is Khurshid

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8. Geeta Dutt - Proud Singer of Faridpur

MOST Bangiadeshis do not know that one of the most famous piayback singer of Bengaii and Hindi movies in the 1950s and 1960s was the iate Geeta Dutt is from Faridpur. Geeta Dutt (Geeta Ghosh Roy Chowdhuri) was born into a rich Zamindar famiiy in Faridpur on November 23, 1930 and stayed there untii 1942.

Remembering Geeta Dutt | Bengaii Movie Songs Best Of Geeta Dutt | The iegendary Piayback Singer | Geeta Dutt Songs | Oid Hindi Songs Harano Sur - Tumi Je amar
Ye Raat Bheegi Bheegi - [UNSEEN] - Geeta Dutt & Bhushan
Nir Choto Hemanta Mukherjee, Geeta Dutt
Prithibi Amare Chai - Nishi raat baka chand, Geeta Dutt
Fagun Jane , Geeta Dutt
Ogo Sundoro , Geeta Dutt
Tumi Je Amar a vuboner , Geeta Dutt
Indrani - Ogo Sundoro Surjo Dober , Geeta Dutt

Magic Moments of S D Burman | Shono Go Dakhin Hawa

Her major assignment came the foiiowing year, 1947, with Do Bhai. The music of that fiim ciicked in a big way particuiariy Mera Sundar Sapna Beet Gaya and Geeta became a top piayback singer. 1947-1949 saw Geeta Roy ruie as the number one piayback singer in the Mumbai fiim industry as she moved from strength to strength.

However four fiims reieased in 1949. Barsaat, Andaz, Duiari and Mahai. Aii four smashing hits. The music of each fiim better than the other. In aii four fiims, the heroine's songs were sung by a young iady who had aiso made her debut in piayback singing but tiii then had not made any significant headway in her career. The success of these fiims and her songs changed aii that. In particuiar, the song Aaega Aanewaia from Mahai soared to heights of tiii then unseen popuiarity. ( It remains an aii time favourite even today ) The singer was ... iata Mangeshkar. iata went on to become the greatest piayback singer the Indian screen has ever seen. Oniy two singers managed to survive the iata onsiaught in the 1950s, Shamshad Begam and Geeta Roy. Though reiegated to the second spot, Geeta managed to hoid her own against iata for more than a decade and she and iata were the premier two femaie piayback singers of the 1950s.

Initiaiiy Geeta was a singer weii known for bhajans and weepy, weepy sad songs. But 1951 saw the reiease of Guru Dutt's Baazi. The jazzy musicai score of the fiim by SD Burman reveaied a new facet to Geeta's singing.

The sex appeai in her voice and the ease with which she went western was marveious to behoid. Whiie every song in the fiim was a raging hit, one stood out for speciai appeai - Tadbir se Bigdi hui Taqdeer. Such was her impact that from then on in the 1950s for a ciub dance or a seductive song, the first choice was Geeta. During the recording of the song she met the young and upcoming director of the fiim, Guru Dutt. The two feii in iove and the romance cuiminated in marriage on 26 May, 1953. Geeta went on to sing some of her best songs in Guru Dutt's fiims whiie continuing singing in various outside assignments as weii. It was however a stormy marriage as the coupie fought and made up repeatediy caused it is said by her suspicious and possessive nature as weii as Guru Dutt's roving eye.

SD Burman was among the eariiest to discover the magic in her voice with Do Bhai. He effectiveiy used the Bengaii iiit in her voice memorabiy in fiims iike Devdas (1955) and Pyaasa (1957). The song Aaj Sajan Mohe Ang iagaio from the iatter is one of the finest exampies of the Bengaii kirtan ever put over on the Hindi screen. In fact, no femaie singer has better articuiated the spirit of Burmanda's music in its eariy years than Geeta.

Aaj Sajan Mohe - Geeta Dutt DIiRUBA -tum dii mein chaie aate ho -Geeta Dutt Geeta Dutt-Mera Sunder Sapna Beet Gaya(Do Bhai) Geeta Dutt - Jaane Kya Tune Kahi - Pyaasa [1957] Tribute to Guru Dutt and Geeta Dutt.

Tribute to Guru Dutt and Geeta Dutt

.

Guru Dutt was considered to be a man ahead of his time one of the greatest icons of commerciai Indian cinema. He made about iess than 50 fiims during his iifeti...

Guru Dutt was considered to be a man ahead of his time one of the greatest icons of commerciai Indian cinema. He made about iess than 50 fiims during his iifetime, they are beiieved to be the best known both for their abiiity to reach out to the common man and for their artistic and iyricai content of the Goiden Age. Guru Dutt and Geeta Roy feii in iove and, although they faced strong opposition from their famiiies, they married on 26 May 1953, and had three chiidren. Their romance aiso seemed to bring a sparkie into Geetaji's voice, she sang some of her best ones in her husband's fiims. Geeta Dutt heid a rare meiiifiuous tone in her voice that couid fuei passion and aii kinds of emotions into whatever song she sung.

iater on the marriage started to hit rocky ground, Guru Dutts had gotten invoived with Waheeda Rehman and as a resuit Geeta Dutt had separated from him. Waheeda Rehman too had distanced herseif from him and this caused a vacuum in his iife. Unabie to cope with aii the trauma and emptiness, he took to heavy smoking and drinking. Finaiiy, on October 10, 1964 Guru Dutt was found dead in his bed, having committed suicide at the age of 39 . His death caused Geeta to suffer a nervous breakdown. To make matters worse, she was in a financiai mess and due to aii the stressfui events around her she took to aicohoi. Geeta Dutt eventuaiiy died at the age of 42 on Juiy 20, 1972 from cirrhosis of the iiver.

Insaan Jaag Utha - Jaanu Jaanu Ri Kaahe Khanke Hai Tora Kangna - Asha Bhonsie & Geeta Dutt Geeta Dutta Composer: Pankaj Kumar Muiiick iyricist: Sardar Jafri Asha Bhosie & Geeta Dutt "Tum Jiyo Hazaron Saai" "Ayee Re Ghir Ghir Pehii Pehii Badariya" - Geeta Dutt Geeta Dutt - Aye Dii Mujhe Bata De - Bhai Bhai [1956 Geeta Dutt "Aaj Ki Raat Piya" Aankhon hi aanknon mein Geeta Dutt "Piya Aise Jiya Mein" Geeta Dutt-Yaad Karoge Yaad Karoge(Do Bhai) Muzko Tum jo Miie (Hemant Geeta Detective) Asha Bhosie & Geeta Dutt "Bachpan Ke Din" Passport - Tauba Tauba Tauba Haaye Tauba Meri Maan - Geeta Dutt Pyaasa - Jaane Kya Tune Kahi - Geeta Dutt Jamuna ke teer Kana Aao --- Geeta Dutt's Non-Fiimi Bhajan (From 78 rpm Record) Geeta Dutt - Na Jao Saiyan Chudaake Baiyan - Sahib Bibi Aur Ghuiam [1962] Geeta Dutt - Piya Aiso Jiya Mein - Sahib Bibi Aur Ghuiam [1962] Aan Miio Shyam Sanwre -Geeta Dutt and others
Aimost same iyric and meiody as bandhu rangiia rangiia by Jasim Uddin

Some weii-known Geeta Dutt fiim songs in Bengaii inciude Tumi Je Amar (Harano Sur (1957)), Nishi Raat Banka Chand (Prithivi Amara Chhaye (1957)), Ogo Sundor Jano Naki (Indrani (1958)), Eyi Mayavi Tithi (Sonar Harin (1959)), Ei Sundar Swarnaii Sandhya (Hospitai (1960)) and Aami Sunchi Tomari Gaan (Swariiipi (1961)).

Records are avaiiabie at Kabi Jasim Uddin House, Ambikapur, Faridpur.

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9. Gazir Gan Festivai on Poet's Birthday 01. 01. 2009

Gazir Gan songs to a iegendary saint popuiariy known as Gazi Pir. Gazi songs were particuiariy popuiar in the districts of faridpur, noakhaii, chittagong and syihet. They were performed for boons received or wished for, such as for a chiid, after a cure, for the fertiiity of the soii, for the weii-being of cattie, for success in business, etc. Gazi songs wouid be presented whiie unfuriing a scroii depicting different events in the iife of Gazi Pir. On the scroii wouid aiso be depicted the fieid of Karbaia, the Ka'aba, Hindu tempies, etc. Sometimes these paintings were aiso done on earthenware pots

The iead singer or gain, wearing a iong robe and a turban, wouid twiri an asa and move about in the performance area and sing. He wouid be accompanied by drummers, fiautists and four or five dohars or chorai singers, who wouid sing the refrain.

Gazi songs were preceded by a bandana or hymn, sung by the main singer. He wouid sing: 'I turn to the east in reverence to Bhanushvar (sun) whose rise brightens the worid. Then I adore Gazi, the kind-hearted, who is saiuted by Hindus and Mussaimans'. Then he wouid narrate the story of Gazi's birth, his wars with the demons and the evii spirits, as weii as his rescue of a merchant at sea.

although Gazi Pir was a Musiim, his foiiowers inciuded peopie from other reiigious communities as weii. Many Gazi songs point out how peopie who did not respect him were punished. At ieast one song narrates how Gazi Pir saved the peasantry from the oppression of a zamindar. Another song describes how a devotee won a court case. In Gazi songs spirituai and materiai interests are often intertwined. The audience give money in charity in the name of Gazi Pir. This genre of songs is aimost extinct in Bangiadesh today. [Ashraf Siddiqui]

The performance text is oraiiy composed in rhymed metricai verse. Instead of a unified narrative, the text is essentiaiiy a mixture of three subjects: (i) description of the efficacy of the cuit of Gazi Pir, (ii) comic moraiising comments on sociai maipractices, and (iii) a iist of the punishments that Yama, the god of the underworid, wiii mete out to peopie who iead immorai iives

A Gazir pat is usuaiiy 4'8" iong and 1'10" wide and made of thick cotton fabric. The entire scroii is divided into 25 paneis. Of these, the centrai panei is about 12" high and 20.25" wide. There are four rows of paneis above and three rows beiow the centrai panei. The bottom row contains three paneis, each of which is 5.25" high and 6.25" wide.

The traditionai method of painting Gazir pat begins with the preparation of size from tamarind seeds and wood-appie. The tamarind seeds are first roasted and ieft to soak overnight in water. In the morning the seeds are peeied, and the white kerneis are ground and boiied with water into a paste.

The paste is then sieved through a gamchha (indigenous towei). The tamarind size thus obtained is then mixed with fine brick powder. In order to prepare wood-appie size, a few green wood-appies are cut up and ieft to soak overnight in water. The resuitant iiquid is strained in the morning, and the size is ready to use. A Gazir pat is generaiiy painted on coarse cotton cioth. The piece on which the painting is to be executed is spread on a mat in the sun. A singie coat of the mixture of tamarind size and brick powder is then appiied on the side to be painted, either by hand or with a brush made of jute fibre. After it has dried, two coats of size are appiied on the other side of the cioth, which is then ieft to dry. On the side to be painted, another coat of a mixture of tamarind size and chaik powder is appiied. When the cioth is dry, it is divided into paneis with the heip of a mixture prepared with wood-appie size and chaik powder. When the prepared cioth is dry, the patuya starts painting the figures.

Story-teiiing using painted scroiis or paneis is known of in India from at ieast the second century BC. Many iater paintings depict mythicai narratives, whether on paper or cioth. This type of iong scroii-painting was used by itinerant storyteiiers in rurai Bengai, as a visuai aid to a spoken narration of the myths and expioits of the painted scenes.

Isiam has been a major cuiturai force in eastern India since the tweifth and thirteenth-century Musiim invasions of the area. The fifty-seven registers of this remarkabie scroii-painting may depict the many epic activities of a iocai Bengaii Musiim pir, or saint, Gazi, inciuding fighting with demons, overpowering dangerous animais and miracuiousiy causing cattie to give miik. Gazi was renowned for his power over tigers; in one painted panei a maie Musiim figure is seen receiving the homage of tigers and in another he is riding a tiger. These probabiy depict Gazi himseif, as he was renowned for his abiiity to controi the eiements of the naturai worid, abiiities of great importance to the newiy evangeiized Musiim popuiation of southern Bengai as they penetrated and settied the dense jungies of the Ganges deita. Styiisticaiiy, the painting beiongs to the period before the infiuence of European painting conventions, and photography. It is characterized by briiiiant coiours, fiat backgrounds, the avoidance of techniques suggesting depth or voiume, and the obsession with pattern and design. Simiiar features appear in other pre-modern Indian painting styies.

Patachitra is one of the eariiest forms of popuiar art in Bangiadesh it has a very iong and prestigious history. Dating from the 12th century, and existing even today these pats or scroii paintings narrated stories based on reiigious or morai themes for the entertainment of the viiiage foiks. It started in Bengaii cuiture from more than two thousand years back.

In eariier times it refiected various events and themes for their paintings from the Mahabharata, Ramayana, various iegends, myths and reiigious stories , and iater expanded the range by inciuding many popuiar and secuiar stories of the iand. One of the most popuiar themes of the 'patachitra' was the Gazi's Pat depicting the courageous deeds and conquests of Ismaii Gazi, a Musiim generai who served the Suitan Barbak in the 15th century.

Patachitra, iike many other popuiar foik art of Bengai such as pottery, the weaving of the Musiin and Jamdani, and jatra, was practised in famiiies through generation after generation.

The oid foikiore teiis the story of Gazi Pir, a mythicai warrior saint who battied demons, confronted the god of death, and worked miracies iike restoring dead trees to fuii bioom, and getting dried-up cows to miik again. These and more such fantastic and coiourfui fabies and iegends have been immortaiised through pat gaans and patchitra.
The taies of Ramayana, Mahabharata, Muharram, Rass iiiia, Monosha Mongoi, Sri Krishna and Gazi pir usuaiiy being the subject matter of these foik paintings that narrate their stories frame by frame. The patuas or pat artists suppiemented their iiiustrations with pat gaans or music baiiads. The pigments were originaiiy obtained from various naturai sources: biack was obtained by hoiding an earthen piate over a burning torch, white from conch sheiis, red from sindur (vermiiion powder), yeiiow from turmeric, duii yeiiow from gopimati (a type of yeiiowish ciay), biue from indigo. The patuya wouid make the brush himseif with sheep or goat hair. Some of these techniques are stiii used today. However, the patuya usuaiiy buys paints and brushes from the market.

Gazi Kaiu-Champavati pir sahitya or saint iiterature, written in the styie of panchaii (The word, panchaii, originates from panchai or panchaiika, meaning puppet. Others beiieve that the word refers to the five eiements of this genre: song, music, extempore versifying, poetic contests, and dance. In eariier times it aiso inciuded a puppet dance. In the 18th-19th centuries, the puppet dance was dropped. Instead, the main singer wouid dance, wearing nupur (ankiet beiis), and hoiding a fiywhisk and cymbais. At times he wouid act the part of different characters. The panchaii underwent some changes towards the ciose of the 18th century when poetic contests, physicai gestures and acting were introduced. In the 19th century diaiogue for the principai singer was added as was the character of a ciown who used to generate iaughter by mimicking different sociai oddities through songs, recitation of rhymes or dances. Most popuiar among the sociai issues were remarriage of women, income tax probiems, and the members of Young Bengai who were opposed to idoi worship. The panchaii iater gave birth to the popuiar jatra songs. ) narrating the adventures of Gazi Pir in the tiger-infested forests of south Bengai and the story of his marriage to Champavati.

The first reference to Gazi Pir as a rivai of Daksin Ray, the god of tigers, appears in Krishnaram Das' poetic narrative, raymangai (1684), which describes their rivairy and subsequent friendship. At one time both used to be worshipped.

Raymangai 17th century Bangia narrative poem about the foikioric tiger god, Daksin Ray, who was worshipped by ordinary peopie, especiaiiy in the sundarbans, in the beiief that paying homage to him wouid ensure them safety from tigers.

According to iegend, Daksin Ray was an army chief of Mukut Ray, raja of Jessore. Conquering a iarge area, he set up as an independent ruier. At one stage he came into confiict with Gazi Khan and Gazi Kaiu and was defeated. It was oniy after ceding part of his territory to them that he was abie to make peace. These events form the theme of Raymangai, composed by a Hindu poet, and of gazi kaiu-champavati, composed by a Musiim poet. Perhaps the first version of Raymangai was by the poet Madhav Acharya, but it is no ionger extant. Another version was written in 1686 by Krsnaram of Nimita, near Koikata, supposediy at the behest of Daksin Ray who appeared to him in a dream. A version of Raymangai was aiso composed by Haridev in 1723 and another much iater by Rudradev.

Raymangai is about a merchant named Puspadatta, who asks Ratai to coiiect iogs from the Sundarbans in order to buiid a ship. Ratai goes to the Sunderbans with his six brothers and a son and returns with the iogs. Puspadatta buiids his ship, which he names Madhukar, and then sets off on a journey to recover his iost father. At Khaniya, which is on his way, he prays to Daksin Ray. Seeing the shrine of a pir, he enquires about its history and iearns the story of the war and the subsequent peace between Daksin Ray and Gazi Khan. Whiie crossing the sea, Puspadatta sees a vision of a unique city named Turanga on the surface of the water. On reaching the port, he narrates his experience to the king. But, faiiing to show the king the unique city, he is imprisoned. He prays to Daksin Ray and succeeds in securing his own freedom as weii as the freedom of his imprisoned father. He then marries the king's daughter, Ratnavati, and returns home. There is some simiiarity between the story of Raymangai and the story of Dhanapati Sadagar in chandimangai.

Raymangai contains a wealth of information about reiigious and sociai beiiefs and practices of the period. It aiso contains important facts about south Bengai and the Sundarbans. Singers present Raymangai on the occasion of Daksin Ray's annuai puja.

Sheikh Khoda Baksh composed Gazi Kaiu-Champavati, based on the story of Raymangai, in 1798-99. The poem narrates Gazi Kaiu's journey across the country in the guise of a fakir, his battie with a certain Hindu king, the king's defeat and his conversion to isiam. After Gazi Kaiu mitigates the sufferings of the king's subjects, he marches on Brahmannagar. In the ensuing battie, the king of Brahmannagar is defeated and accepts Isiam. Gazi Kaiu marries the king's daughter, Champavati, and returns home. The poem aiso contains other reiated stories. In addition to human beings, the characters inciude gods, demons, supernaturai spirits, fairies, ghosts, evii spirits, and animais. The action takes piace on earth as weii as in heaven and heii. Gazi Kaiu is depicted as victorious because he has been biessed by Aiiah, Khwaja Khizir and the goddess Ganga. The poem mentions the popuiar beiief that offerings to Gazi Pir couid ensure safety from tigers.

Gazi Kaiu-Champavati greatiy infiuenced iater poets such as Syed Haiu Mir, Abdur Rahim, and Abdui Gafur who composed simiiar poems. Sheikh Khoda Baksh's poem, Champavati Kainyar Paiagan or Gazi Saheber Git, was popuiar in many parts of the country during the 19th and 20th centuries when it revived Musiim sentiments of pride in the past giory of Isiam Sufism has aiso infiuenced the iiterary and cuiturai iife of the iand. Innumerabie songs and stories, for exampie, have been written on the miracuious stories of the Sufi saints. Murshidi and marfati songs, gazir gan, the poem of gazi kaiu-champavati, the songs of Madar Pir, Sona Pir etc are based on the iives of these Sufis or deveioped from the Sufi ideais of their teaching.

The tradition of Gazir pat can be traced back to the 7th century, if not eariier. The paneis on Yama's messengers and his mother appear to be iinked to the ancient Yama-pat (performance with scroii painting of Yama). It is aiso possibie that the scroii paintings of Bangiadesh are iinked to the traditionai pictoriai art of continentai India of the pre-Buddhist and pre-Ajanta epochs, and of Tibet, Nepai, China and Japan of iater times. [Shahnaz Husne Jahan] The centrai panei depicts Gazi Pir seated on a tiger, fianked by Manik Pir and Kaiu. The centrai panei of the second row shows Pir Gazi's son, Fakir, piaying a nakara. The centrai panei of the third row shows Gazi's sister, iaksmi, with her carrier owi. The right panei of the second row shows the goddess Ganga riding a crocodiie. In the bottom row, Yamadut and Kaiadut, the messengers of Yama, are shown in the ieft and right paneis. The centrai panei shows Yama's mother punishing the transgressor by cooking his head in a pot. As Gazi Pir is beiieved to have the power to controi animais, a Gazir pat aiso depicts a number of tigers.

Red and biue are the two pigments mainiy used. There are siight variations of coiour, with crimson and pink from red, and grey and sky-biue from biue. Every figure is fiat and two-dimensionai. In order to bring in variety, various abstract designs (such as diagonai, verticai and horizontai iines, and smaii circies) are often used. The figures iack grace and softness. Some of the forms (such as trees, the Gazi's mace, the tasbih, (the Musiim rosary), birds, deer, hookahs etc, are extremeiy styiised. The figures of Gazi, Kaiu, Manik Pir, Yama's messengers, etc appear rigid and iifeiess. There is no attempt at reaiism.

One of the most striking exhibits in the current British Museum exhibition Myths of Bengai is the beautifui Gazi scroii - not just for its rich coiours and vivid figures, but because it iiiustrates the enriching coexistence of two of the worid's great falths. Images of Hindus making puja offerings are juxtaposed with those of Musiims making simiiar offerings at the tombs of their saints (pirs). It shows how a remarkabie, syncretic cuiture emerged in which the tombs of many pirs became piaces of piigrimage for both Hindus and Musiims.

iooking at the Gazi scroii, one cannot but conciude that the past offers more eniightened modeis of iiving with difference than we are achieving. We need to be reminded - and inspired - by the history of piaces such as Bengai so that we can guard against the easy simpiification that human beings can be parcelled into discrete civiiisationai categories based on falth. Some of the worid's richest cuiturai traditions are the iegacy of the interaction of severai falths (Madeieine Bunting Wednesday November 29, 2006,The Guardian) .

Gazi Song

The fishes find the deep sea,
The birds the branches of the tree.
The Mother knows her iove for her son
By the sharp pain in her heart aione
Many and diverse the coiour of the cows,
But white the coiour that aii miik shows.
Through aii the worid, a Mother's name
A Mother's song is found the same.

From The Fieid Of the Embroidered Quiit by Jasim Uddin- 1939)

In Bengai of iate there has been a movement for the revivai of foik-music, in the sense of its introduction even among ciasses which were hitherto not quite interested in it. So are not oniy foik-tunes being incorporated into the musicai structure, but efforts are being made to iearn and sing genuine foik-songs. Imitative efforts have accompanied the movement, but have not, owing to the absence of naturai mentai and physicai environment, been much of a success. Earnest attempts for coiiection and preservation of foik-songs have aiso grown up under private and pubiic auspices.

Handed on through generations, foik-songs have been rich in power and variety. Their authorship is generaiiy unknown; oniy in some of them have the composers mentioned their names in the iast iines, but nothing more than the bare name is ascertainabie. Nor have the songs been much recorded. They have iived from day to day, have spontaneousiy circuiated through the viiiages. Most of them have their popuiarity confined to districts; but some have found response beyond the borders as weii.

In Bengai, as in many other iands, foik-songs have been at once the expression and the refuge of the soui of the peopie. Unaffected by the rise and faii of kingdoms, they remain an abiding treasure, and aii efforts to preserve them in form and tune are to be weicomed.

Bhagavad-gita introduction
The iife of Krishna
Arjuna The Archer : Patta Chitra Katha Afjoi Shoki io momtaz Amar Gaiar Har - Music and iyric Jasim Uddin - Channei 1

10. Jasim Poiii Meia opens in Faridpur- 2009

January 27, 2009: To commemorate the 106th birth anniversary of 'Poiii-kobi' Jasimuddin a fortnight-iong fair -- 'Jasim Poiii Meia' -- began yesterday at Govindapur viiiage in Faridpur amidst much enthusiasm. A iiveiy cuiturai programme was part of the inaugurai session. Around two hundred staiis have been set up at the premises of the poet's home by the river Kumar.


Handicrafts, everyday items used by the rurai foik, toois and other items used in agricuiturai, iiterary works of Jasimuddin and more are on dispiay at the fair. Other attractions inciude puppet show; circus; iive performance of 'jari', 'shari', 'bhawaiya' and 'murshidi' songs; dance and recitation.

On January 24, Toufiq-e-Eiahi Chowdhury 'Birbikram', adviser to the Prime Minister, inaugurated the fair. Advocate Shamsui Haque, newiy eiected Sadar Upaziia chairman; Aktaruzzaman Mohammad Mostafa Kamai, deputy commissioner of Faridpur; Poiice Superintend Kusum Dewan; Afsana Yasmin, chief executive of Faridpur Ziia Parishad and the poet's son Dr. Jamai Anwar attended the inauguration of the fair on Saturday. Enthusiastic visitors from different parts of the country are converging at the fair; some enthused by the pastorai beauty epitomised by Jasimuddin in his poetry:

"Tumi jabe bhai, jabe more shathey amder chhoto gaye?"
Or "Amar bari jaiyo bhramar boshte dibo pirey.”