Letter from Maesha from Bangladesh to Tazra in UK

-

                                                                  Sender: Maesha Marium

Senders Location: Rajshahi, Bangladesh


Receiver: Tazra Khan

Receiver Location: Glasgow, UK








Translation:


21.02.2023

Rajshahi

Dear Pen-friend,

I've been planning to write to you as a part of the 'letter-writing' activity of the OSCH project for a while now, but I just couldn't find the time. I wanted to write to you about an archeological site in my hometown, Rajshahi. But I couldn't visit the place due to being extremely busy with my studies and music. So I thought, why not tell you about one of my favorite events since childhood? It also happens to be a cultural heritage of this city. It's Rother Mela, which loosely translates to the 'chariot carnival'. It's a fair that is hosted every year during the Hindu festival Rothojatra of Jagannath. Jagannath is a Hindu god who does not have any arms or legs and travels on a chariot. The chariot is dragged from one end of the city to the other, at the beginning of the festival, and then dragged back to its place at the end of it. The mela or fair is held in the week between the two journeys. You can say that Jagannath is a mythological portrayal of differently abled individuals in Hindu mythology.

The fair or carnival is a site to see. Here you'll find clothes, utensils, wooden furniture, toys made of clay and locally found resources, delicious snacks and street foods, and whatnot! The unique thing about this fair that makes it stand out among all other similar events is that the goods sold here are mostly made by local craftsmen and artisans, from organic materials, rather than imported or factory-made products.  At least that's how it used to be when I visited the place as a kid, clutching my father's finger in my palm to avoid getting lost in the crowd. Although things have changed now. Plastic toys and imported steel crockeries have taken over the fair.  But old-school folks like me still seek out the old things for a whiff of nostalgia.

Another interesting fact about this fair is that although it's hosted on the occasion of a Hindu festival, businessmen and customers from all faiths gather here to trade. Here you'll find hand-knitted prayer mats, caps, perfume, and all things Muslim selling right beside clay idols of Hindu gods and goddesses. Just like the people of this place, the fair is also a harmonious hoch poch of faiths and cultures.

Hey, do you also have festivals over there where people from all walks of life gather to celebrate? Let me know, okay?

Enough of my gibber-jabber. I'm attaching some pictures of the fair that I've clicked over the years. I think they'll tell you more about the fair than my words couldn't.

Sincerely,

- Your music-loving, bookworm, traveler, doodler friend,

Maesha.

P. S. I forgot to introduce myself in the letter, hence the long rally of adjectives at the end of it.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

2nd Letter from Aryan from UK to Mahi in Bangladesh

-
Image
  Sender:  Aryan Kamal Senders Location:  Glasgow, UK  Receiver:  Ali Haser Al-Amin Receiver Location:  Rajshahi, Bangladesh Translation: To Mahi Hello, Mahi! I am extremely excited to write a second letter to you. I chose the topic of Scottish culture and language because it is where I am from and is important to me and could be knowledgeable for you as well. Allow me to begin and not waste any more time. Scotland is a country renowned for its rich cultural heritage, which includes its unique language and customs. We are proud people who have a distinct identify that’s reflected in our language, traditions and the way we live. Scotland has a long and fascinating history which has helped shape its culture and language over the years. The Scots are a Celtic people who’ve lived in Scotland for many years. They have a rich oral tradition, which has been passed down through the generations and this has helped to preserve their language and culture. The Scots language is a different dialect
Read more

Second letter from mahi from Bangladesh to Aryan in UK

-
Image
                                         Sender:  Ali Hase Al-Amin (Mahi) Senders Location:  Rajshahi, Bangladesh Receiver:  Aryan Kamal Receiver Location:  Glasgow, UK Translation: Dear Ariyan, I have received your letter. Hope you are well. In your letter, you have talked about climate change. After reading you, I also felt that the climate of our city has changed a lot day by day. In Rajshahi, it is too hot during summer and unbearable cold during winter. As a result, people get confused while visiting Rajshahi. But in Rajshahi, it is better not to visit during the summer season.  But now the generation has changed and there is air conditioning in every house. Now you may be wondering how people lived in such a hot area when there was no AC. I will talk about it today. You know that Rajshahi is a city that is situated along the banks of the Padma river. In the last letter, I told you about a dilapidated building 'Boro Kuthi' on the bank of the river. If you look carefully, y
Read more

Letter from Aryan from UK to Mahi in Bangladesh

-
Image
  Sender:  Aryan Kamal Senders Location:  Glasgow, UK  Receiver:  Ali Haser Al-Amin Receiver Location:  Rajshahi, Bangladesh Hey there, Ali! I’m really excited to have you as my pen pal for this task. I have been asked to write you a letter about many different topics however I have chosen to tell you about energy costs and the UK inflation rates! In November 2021, I participated in a COP-26 Public Speaking event where I discussed my views on Climate Change. I avoided overheard stereotypes and used words that could be acted upon. So, following that, energy costs were one of the main topics I am still thinking of to this day. Do you think of it too? Let’s delve deeper into this. Do you know what the number one reason is why energy prices have risen so much? If you did not, it is because Russia invaded Ukraine. I found a source that stated: “between 23 February, the day before the start of the conflict, and 31 July (27 September), European gas and electricity wholesale prices increased
Read more