Published : 09 Oct 2026, 12:36 PM
Updated : 09 Oct 2026, 12:42 PM
Cultural organisation Chhayanaut has celebrated the arrival of autumn with an array of kites, catkin flowers, and blue-and-white motifs during its traditional “Shorot” festival.
The grounds of St Joseph Higher Secondary School in Dhaka’s Mohammadpur took on a festive look on Friday morning as rows of purple, pink, yellow, and blue kites lined the entrance to the stage, which was adorned with clusters of catkins.
The main programme was due to begin at 7:30am, but the mood had set in well before.
Teenage dancers clad in white sarees with blue borders honed their steps, while students arranged themselves on stage in white and blue traditional attires, creating a living tableau of autumn flora.
Organised jointly by Chhayanaut and St Joseph Higher Secondary School, the event brought together students from Nalonda High School, Excel Academy, and St Joseph International School and College.
It opened with Rabindranath Tagore’s ensemble song and dance “Sharote Aaj Kon Atithi”, with students of the five institutions singing in chorus as Chhayanaut artistes danced.
Songs, rhymes and recitations of Tagore, Kazi Nazrul Islam and Atulpasad Sen followed.
Nalonda students performed “Alor Amal Kamalkhani” and “Sharat (Aji Ki Tomar Modhur Murati)”, besides a group recitation of Sunirmal Basu’s “Sobar Ami Chhatro”.
Meherin Fatema and Sudarshana Alakananda Kundu sang the solos “Tomra Ja Bolo Tai Bolo” and “Bhorer Jheeler Jole”.
Excel Academy presented the ensemble “Dekho Dekho Dekho Shuktara Aankhi”, with solos by Arunabha Dey and Ipsita Sikdar. St Joseph International students sang “Kon Khepa Shrabon Chhute Elo”.
Chhayanaut’s Parthib Saha sang the solo “Shiuli Phul Shiuli Phul”. Its segment also featured Izmir Mustafiz’s recitation of “Sharat (Eseche Sharat, Himer Poroosh)”, a group recitation of Nazrul’s “Kon Sharate Purnima-Chand” and Ankita Sarkar’s solo “Amal Dhabal Pale Legechhe”.
St Joseph Higher Secondary students sang “Aj Prothom Phuler Pabo Prasadkhani”. Sarthak Saha, Bandhan Kundu and Dibyamoy Desh performed the solos “Esho Sharod Prater Pothik”, “Hridoye Chhile Jege” and “Meghera Dol Bedhe Jay”.
Chhayanaut closed the performances with “Ogo Shephalibaner Moner Kamona”, with Shatadru Sarkar and Prema Dewanji on solo vocals.
Its President Sarwar Ali said the festival grew out of a wish to introduce students to nature’s distinctiveness.
“Bangladesh is a land of six seasons, each with its own variety. Chhayanaut is trying to present autumn’s own form, the gentleness of a rain-free blue sky, drifting clouds, blooming catkins and shiuli flowers, to the public through students,” he said.
Bringing students close to nature from childhood and spreading that beauty through them could curb much of the destruction of nature now under way, he added.
All the institutions then joined voices for the ensemble “Aj Dhaner Khete”, and the national anthem closed the festival.
The event was also streamed live on Chhayanaut’s official Facebook page and YouTube channel.
