Basanta Utsav in Jhargram today

Basanta Utsav in Jhargram, the place which was once under the threat of violent activities of the Maoists, will be celebrated on Wednesday in midst of the performance of folk artists.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will be touring the area on March 25 and 26 in support of 18 candidates that will go for elections on April 4.

It may be mentioned that the peace was restored in the areas which were Maoist infested after the change of guard in the state in 2011. 

At the same time various steps were taken for the revival of the folk artists in the past four and a half years.

In Wednesday’s programme organised at Jhargram, hundreds of folk artists from different parts of the district and its adjoining areas will be coming to perform.

The Basanta Utsav is mainly organised to attract tourists and hundreds of visitors from different parts of the country will also be participating in the programme.

Folk dance including Raibeshi, Bratachari, Ron Pa, Jhumur and Santhal will be performed in the programme on Tuesday. 

Besides the performance of the folk artists, the tourists can also watch painters from Jhargram and Belpahari painting on three main subjects that include the present situation in Junglemahal, the lifestyle of tribals and Holi.

There will be sculptors who will be carving idols out of black stones. Idols made out of black stones are famous all over the world. 

People come to Jhargram in search of such black stone idols and the organisers feel that people will appreciate their initiative of engaging artists making idols in front of them. There will also be an exhibition of the black stone idols.

Sumit Dutta, founder of the NGO that organsied the Basanta Utsav, said such programme was organised for the first time in 2009. 

But it was not possible to organise the same for few years in between and this is the fourth year of Basanta Utsav.

Thousands of people will also visit the places in the state including Shantiniketan, Mayapur and Nabadwip in Holi.