Chennai, 12 May 2023:

Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Chennai and Anna University jointly celebrated Bengali and Tamil New Year on 12 May 2023 with due fervor and festivity. The celebration included a mesmerizing cultural program participated by the teachers and students of Anna University at the Centre for Distance Education Auditorium. It was followed by a lively and colorful ‘Mangal Shobhajatra’ waving replicas of birds, animals, boats, and masks.

The Vice Chancellor of Anna University, Professor Dr. R. Velraj was the Guest of Honour of the program. Dr. L. Suganthi, Dean, College of Engineering, Anna University, among others, was present at the program.

The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Dr. R. Velraj, in his remarks, welcomed the Deputy High Commissioner and thanked him for choosing Anna University for celebrating Bangla and Tamil New Year. He recalled the contribution of great poet Rabindranath Tagore who penned the national anthems for both India and Bangladesh. Again, referring to the strong social, cultural and economic commonalities, he also mentioned that similar calendars and festivities are strong representations of the said cultural commonalities. He concluded with the hope to work together in the fields of education and culture in the future.

The Deputy High Commissioner, Mr. Shelley Salehin, in his remarks, said that “Pohela Boishakh” is a festival that reflects thousands of years of heritage of Bengali culture. He also mentioned about the inclusion of “Mangal Shobhajatra” in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2016.  The celebration is deep-rooted in our cultural identity, which is based on secular values representing solidarity and a shared value for promoting diversity, uniting people irrespective of their caste, creed, religion, gender, or age he added.

The program ended with refreshments.