A Z Al Muzahid, Kishoreganj

'Pitha-Puli' is infused with the thousand-year-old traditional culture of Bengali. Whenever the mood of winter comes, pitha-puli, pies or nadu comes to our mind. Due to the touch of modernity and urbanization, this pitha festival is on the way to extinction today.

A colourful Pitha Utsav was organized at Gurudayal Government College, Kishoreganj to preserve the culture of this Bengali Pitha Utsav on Thursday morning.

The pitha festival was inaugurated across the Krishnachura square of Gurudayal Government College campus. The college teachers' council organized this festival. The students of the college have arranged different stalls with different types of pitha pasara on the occasion.

Students participated in the pitha festival with a total of 23 stalls and 300 types of pithas from various departments of the college. A festive atmosphere all around, rows upon rows of pies in stalls, enticing display. Delicious pies with different names and colors are available in the stalls.

Dr. Dilip Kumar Barua, Vice-Chancellor of Kishoreganj University inaugurated the festival by blowing balloons at 10 am despite the cold and foggy weather.

Gurudayal Government College Principal Professor ANM Mushtaqur Rahman presided over the inauguration ceremony.

After the inauguration, the guests visited the stalls. Later discussion meeting organized on the occasion of Pitha Utsav was held.

Gurudayal Government College Principal Professor ANM Mushtaqur Rahman said, Pitha festival is infused with the culture of Bengalis for thousands of years. Like every year, Gurdayal Government College has organized a pitha festival to bring out the taste of pitha-puli.

Due to this festival, we can smell and taste the pitha-puli of our village. He also said that the stalls are decorated with new pithas including extinct ones during this festival. People of different ages, including the new generation boys and girls, have come to eat the pie. We will organize such a colorful event every year due to the demand of those who come to this festival.

Liza Khandkar, a student who came to enjoy pitha festival, said many foreign foods have found their place in our country. As a result, many pies in the hands of mothers are on the verge of extinctionIf pitha festival is organized every year, the new generation will be introduced to desi pitha. Another student, Zaheer, said that pitha is not just a food, it is associated with the tradition of village-Bangla.

May Bengali tradition and culture spread in everyone's lives through this festivalIn the spirit of the festival, Souravi Akhtar, lecturer of Economics Department of Gurudayal Government College, said, 'College students from different departments participate in this festival. This festival is organized to present the traditional traditions of Bengal to the new generation.

The stalls prepared by the students in the festival were a celebration of different varieties of pithaAlso during the festival, prizes are distributed among the participants with cakes.

Later, the guests visited the various stalls of the pitha festival and enjoyed the interesting cultural programme. .