Traditional 'Nabanna' festival continues influencing rural society

The traditional 'Nabanna' festival still remains highly significant in the country's rural society, serving as a symbol of prosperity and a means to foster deep connections among farmers, their families and the broader community.

During the harvest of the Aman rice crop at this time of the year, rural farmers in Bengal celebrate by preparing various dishes like 'pitha', 'puli' and 'payesh', using the newly-harvested rice and rice flour and sharing these treats with others.

In this way, the traditional festival weaves together rural and urban Bengal into a single, unified tapestry for centuries.

Talking to BSS, Professor at the Department of Bengali of Begum Rokeya University Dr Tuhin Wadud said homes in rural Bengal can still be seen using traditional 'Urun-Gain' and 'Dhenki' to make rice flour to make dishes like 'pitha', 'puli' and 'payesh' in 'Nabanna' festival.

A Dhenki is a traditional foot-powered wooden machine used primarily for peeling rice husks, separating the grains from the paddy, and grinding other food items.

It essentially functions as a manual rice mill that preserves the nutritional value of the rice and produces healthy brown rice.

Urun is made by carving the middle of a tree trunk and a hard wooden rod called a 'Gain' is used to make rice flour keeping nutritional values of rice intact.

There is an iron bar or cap on the head of the 'Gain'. It helps in breaking the rice flour and rice easily.

However, both 'Urun-Gain' and 'Dhenki' are still equally popular with the village women for making rice, grinding flour, and masala like ginger and turmeric.

Dr Tuhin said, "Villages are now busy with the 'Nabanna'. New sons-in-law and relatives visit their relatives' homes to repair relationships and awaken with new enthusiasm to a new level of affiliation."

Senior teacher of Katihara Ekramia Dakhil Madrasha in Rangpur Sadar upazila Alhaj Isahaque Ali said farmers are now inviting their daughters-in-law, sons-in-law, and relatives to feed them delicious 'pitha', 'puli' and 'payesh'.

"Most of the rural farmers' families cook special sweets and savory dishes from new rice, like 'pitha' and 'payesh' to celebrate the 'Nabanna' festival in the Bengali months of Agrahayan-Poush every year," he said.

Isahaque Ali further added, "In our village, much like elsewhere, many women use a 'Dhenki' to separate rice grains from paddy and prepare rice flour using an 'Urun-Gain', keeping the nutritional value of the rice intact, during the 'Nabanna' festival."

Professor Mohammad Shah Alam, former Head of the Department of Bengali of Rangpur Government Begum Rokeya College and a Nazrul researcher, said 'Nabanna' is a vibrant harvest festival that celebrates the first new Aman rice of the season.

"Nabanna is a festival celebrating the consumption of the new harvest and represents a rich tradition and culture of Bangladesh. It also serves to forge a deep bond among farmers, their relatives, and the broader community," he said.

However, the cultural elements of the 'Nabanna' festival are associated inseparably with rural Bengali instruments like the 'Urun-Gain' and 'Dhenki', which are used to knead rice flour to make all the delicious dishes.

Without Urun-Gain and Dhenki, it is not possible to make the proper rice flour required for making 'pitha', 'puli', and 'payesh'.

"Sadly, some of the cultural elements associated with 'Nabanna', such as folk music, dance, poetry and folk art performances, are gradually fading, although the delicious dishes that carry the tradition remain firmly alive in rural Bengal," he mentioned.

Additional Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension for Rangpur region Krishibid Md Saiful Islam said that traditional Bengali food, including rice, fish, meat, pulao, and various kinds of delicious dishes are

also served in 'Nabanna'.

These food items are accompanied by additional attractions such as sweets made from rice flour, 'pitha', 'puli' and 'payesh' of various types with date molasses.

"The main ingredient in making these dishes is Atap rice flour, which is made by grinding rice in 'Urun-Gain' and 'Dhenki', which have been the integral parts of the traditional 'Nabanna' festival," he said.

Krishibid Dr Md Mamunur Rashid, consultant for the Rupantar Project of the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) Bangladesh, said 'Nabanna' festival keeps economic activities alive when people buy new clothes in villages.

Farmers and common people gather at the rural fairs organised during the 'Nabanna' festival to taste 'pitha', 'puli' and 'payesh', which reflect the hope of future prosperity, connecting rural life with the larger Bengali

culture.

"With the arrival of new Aman rice, the festival of 'Nabanna' begins in villages. Mothers, sisters and brides are seen busy grinding rice flour, the main ingredient in making food, using 'Urun-Gain' or 'Dhenki' at their

homes," he said.

The women in the families are busy pounding rice, removing husks and grinding rice into a fine powder. Some are occupied with cooking, and others gather necessary ingredients. Everyone is radiant with the joy of sharing 'pitha', 'puli', and 'payesh' with relatives.

"While doing this work, a sweet relationship has developed between the wife, mother-in-law, in-laws, and neighbors. Sometimes, during the intimate moments of rice harvesting, they can be heard singing songs," Krishibid Dr Rashid said.

Source: BSS