Jamshedpur Bengal Club: Ensconcing tradition through 100 years with Poila Boishakh celebrations

Mail News Service

Jamshedpur, April 3: Poila Boishakh celebrations through 99 years may have seen colours of modernity through time but celebrating the Bengali New Year for the 100^th time will definitely be a glittering occasion for the Bengali community. Bengal Club is one such cultural edifice that has maintained its status through time and has captured the pride of place in all Bengali hearts. Bengal Club will be celebrating its centenary year on Poila Boishakh which is slated for April 15 with a three day programme of festivity with a whiff of traditional cuisine to excite taste buds along with the celebratory adrenaline.

Bengal Club President Tapas Mitra while announcing the three day bonanza to celebrate the twin events received allround support from representatives of other Bengali clubs that included  Banga Bandhu, Annwesha, Amal Sangh, Prateek Sangharsh Foundation, Jharkhand Bengali Coordination Committee, Jamshedpur Association (Ghasi Club), Kishore Sangha, Nikhil Bharat Bang Sahitya Sammelan, The Milanee, Jamshedpur Durga Bari, Jharkhand Bengali Committee and other organizations who, in chorus stated, “Bengal Cluber Shangey Achhi (We are with Bengal Club)!” Other dignitaries on the dais included were PS Sen, former President Bikash Mukherjee, Director of Sakchi Sreeleathers Dolan De, Anshuman Chowdhuri and Achintam Gupta who also spoke on the occasion.

Bengal Club General Secretary Debasish Naha informed about the three day programme commencing April 15. Day 1 will feature the inaugural fare with traditional blowing of conch shell to usher in happiness followed by the melody of Shehnai by a musical team from Kolkata. Popular artist Biplab Roy will ensure that the entire Bengal Club depicts the culture and tradition of Bengal that this institution has ensconced through 100 years of changing times.

The twin events of 100 years and Poila Boishakh will be inaugurated by the Chief Minister of Jharkhand, Hemant Soren in the presence of leading political and social luminaries. At the same time, the new building of Bengal Club will also be inaugurated. Persons associated with distinctive contributions in various fields will be honoured on the occasion. And to add to the joyous atmosphere, people will be treated to an array of traditional Bengali cuisine. The evening will be marked by a cxultural programme to be presented by Jayati Chakraborty.

Day 2 (April 16) will be dedicated to events through 100 years of the Bengal Club. The icing on the cake will be the performance of two internationally reputed artistes, Pandit Tanmay Bose and Ustad Aman Ali Bangash to make the evening a memorable sojourn for music lovers.

The final day of celebrations, Day 3 (April 17) will comprise an aura of ethereal joy with semi classical music by the famed duo of Sourendra and Soumyajit.

Apart from the three days of celebration, the Bengal Club has chalked out special events for the entire year. Famed danseuse and director Alokananda Roy and her dance troupe will perform on May 15 to dance into the hearts of people with delightful combinations of dance forms.

The other events to be rolled out by the Club through the year will include All India Yogasan Competition

(June 5 and 6), Body building and power lifting competition (July), Drama Festival with theatrical presentations by masters of theatre Gautam Haldar, Deb Shankar Haldar and Manashi Sinha (August), Grand celebration of Durgotsav and Bijoya Sammelani (September-October) and followed up in January 2023 with the organizing of Poush Mela.

Every New Year comes with baskets of hope and joy. That has been the trend that the Bengal Club has traversed through its sojourn of 100 years. The Poila Boishakh this year will be more than special for the Bengali community as it will coincide with a chapter in history: the 100 years of a youthful heritage, the Bengal Club that has grown in stature through 100 eventful years.