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Shop
Special
Karu
dhara- handicraft home
In this
age of computers, machines and robots, 'handicraft items' is a phrase
that is almost on its way to extinction. Almost. Fortunately, the presence
of a few things stop this from happening. 'Karu Dhara'- an exclusive
handicrafts shop in Chittagong. Karu Dhara is situated in GEC More,
just below 'Captain's Bell' restaurant. Everything in this shop is handmade,
beginning from its showpieces to its jewellery, cards and clothes. They
have bamboo and wooden wall clocks, and ceramic lamps, with prices ranging
from Tl190 to Tk2050; showpieces of monkeys and elephants carved in
coconut are priced at Tk90 to Tk250 each. Candle lovers and collectors
can pick up, colourful candle of your choice within Tk220 only. Even
the greeting cards available here are handmade, ranging from Tk25 to
Tk60. I simply adored their collection of hanging lamps. Pick one up
for a mere Tk180 to Tk550. If you're looking for casual jewellery to
wear in spring or summer, definitely browse through their collection.
Earrings and bangles are positively cheap, ranging from Tk20 to Tk60.
A more extravagant set complete with necklace and earrings will cost
you around Tk100 to Tk350. These unique pieces will definitely add character
to any outfit you wear them with. Speaking of outfits, Karu Dhara also
features a collection of Katan Sarees and Panjabis, which range from
Tk350 to Tk1250. Karu Dhara also makes handicrafts that are 'made to
order'. If you want something specific, just go and give them the design,
and they will have it ready within a week.
By
Jennifer Ashraf
Event
Marma
cultural show held at Savar
I entered the backstage
when the show was over. As I walked in, the performers of Marma Shangskritik
Shangstha, were chattering in their native language. It took me a while
to grab their attention. One of the organisers Subodh Baske introduced
me to enthusiastic smiling faces of the team, and our little conversation
began.
All the performers
of the team hailed from Rangamati. They were exited about their visit
to the capital city of Bangladesh. Waimraching Marma Runu, one of the
cheerful performers expressed joy, as this is her first visit to anywhere
beyond the Chittagong Hill Tracts. "We will stay a very little
time in the city. Before leaving, all my pals wish to see Nandan Park,
the Jahangirnagar University campus and if possible some other places
inside Dhaka," she says.
This team of performers
was taking part in a three-day cultural show at the Gono Shastho Kendro,
Savar organised by Society for Environment and Human Development. "Being
able to perform in front of a different audience was a very pleasant
experience," Runa added. She also relates, "Our culture is
being invaded by outside elements. This programme is an opportunity
for us to represent what we still have to the Bangali community".
During the three-day
programme on 16 to 18 January, the team attended short discussion sessions
sharing their insights, visited the Jatiyo Sritishoudho at Savar and
presented the fascinating cultural programme.
In the cultural
show they showcased the Shangrai dances. Shangrai is the Marma New Year
festival. One of the celebrations of Shangrai is "Jalkeli"(Water
Festival). During Jalkeli young boys and girls choose the person they
like and throw water at them as a symbol of their admiration. Kolshi
nrittyo was another attractive dance piece in which the girls who chose
their admirer go to fetch water in the Kornofuli river known as "Kaisa
Khyang" in Marma language. One of the motives is to flirt with
the boys they love. Pradip nrittyo and probarona purnima dances were
also performed.
When someone visits
their home, Marma people welcome the guest with "Kodur Anka"
or umbrella dance. The umbrella dance was the final piece, saying goodbye
to the audience.
Around 142, 334
Marma people live the Chittagong region. Buddhist in religion, this
community is ignored by the government, complained the performers. A
little media attention would give them the limelight they deserve, they
expressed.
By
Shahnaz Parveen
Shop
talk
Nakshi
Katha
Are you unsure about what gift you should buy for a wedding that you've
got to attend? If so, then you can consider purchasing a Nakshi Katha,
as they are excellent gifts. The person that you will be gifting it
to will definitely appreciate its embroidery. Besides giving a Nakshi
Katha as a gift, you can also buy one for yourself. Nakshi Katha's are
not only aesthetically appealing, but they can also come in handy when
the weather gets cold, as they can be used as blankets. At the branches
of Aarong, some splendid Nakshi Katha's are being sold. Their prices
range from Tk 2,500 to Tk 10,000.
Children's
Books
There's a famous saying: "You can't teach an old dog new tricks."
Therefore, if you want your children to have a habit of reading, then
you should make them develop the habit from a young age. By buying your
young children a few children's books, you'll find that they will gradually
develop a fascination for reading. This will definitely bode well for
the future, as they'll develop a strong command over English through
their reading. If you go to Words 'n Pages (125 Gulshan Avenue), you'll
find that they've got an excellent collection of children's books. Their
prices start from Tk 100 onwards.
Computer
Table
If you've got plans to buy a computer, then you should also have plans
to buy a computer table. After all, it doesn't make sense to save a
bit of money by not purchasing one, when you've bought a machine spending
oodles of money. A computer table will enable you to use your computer
with greater ease, something that a conventional table will not enable
you to do. At the branches of Otobi, computer tables of various sizes
are being sold in the range of Tk 2,850 to Tk 7,500.
Keds
If you go on a morning walk or play a game of cricket, you must wear
good footwear. By failing to do so, you'll end up getting blisters all
over your feet. Keds are an excellent form of footwear, as they'll ensure
that your feet are taken good care of. At the branches of Bata, you'll
find that Power keds are being sold from Tk 750 onwards. Compared with
other brands of keds, Power compares very favourably both in terms of
price and quality.
Exterior
Paint
Does the exterior of your house look drab? If it does, we suggest that
you paint it and then it will be refreshing to look at. As it is winter
now, this is the perfect time to paint the exterior of your house, since
it usually doesn't rain at this time of the year. There are various
brands of exterior paint available at hardware stores, and Berger is
one of them. You can buy a 40kg drum of Berger's Durocem for about Tk
1,950. If you truly want to protect your house against the vagaries
of the weather, then you should purchase Berger's Weather Coat. Each
can of this paint will cost about Tk 720.
Pagri
The wedding season is going on in full swing, and it is for this reason
that pagri's come into the equation. It might not be the most fashionable
form of headgear a man has ever worn, but when it comes to wedding day,
this is exactly what the groom has to wear! Pagri's are available at
all shops that sell items related to a wedding. If you go to Palki (234/2
New Elephant Road), you'll be able to purchase a pagri between Tk 500
to Tk 3,000.
By
Sayeed Mahmud Nizam
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Fearsome
reruns
There
is no denying that the entire nation is shocked at the death of former
Finance Minister Shah AMS Kibria, just like we were shocked when Ivy
Rahman gave her life in an eerily similar manner in last year's August
21 bomb attack.
In
fact we were shocked so many times on account of such ruthless killings,
of such grisly attacks that we have lost count of the number of times.
Of late being in a state of shock has become the normal state of mind
for us Bengalis.
This
is all we do -- express outrage, become anguished, feel insecure,
believe in lies, and forget everything as soon as the voices of dissent
die down or hartal breaks and normalcy resumes. This has become the
way of life for us.
Our
concerns tend to fade soon after the TV channels air the breaking
stories. Every time we think that this is the last such incident,
it comes back again and again to remind us that the people we have
voted to power to ensure justice and punishment of these criminals
are actually doing nothing. Instead they take on a defensive attitude
and politicize the issue. They do not hesitate to blame the opposition
for every act of terror even if the victims are opposition members.
And when press reports say militants like Bangla bhai are killing
people with the blessing of some ruling party parliamentarians, the
ruling party resort to accusing the media of "tarnishing the
image of the nation". This denial is tantamount to sponsoring
the heinous acts. Its like the Ostrich poking its head in the bush
when attackedso that it thinks that everything is all right. But the
fact is that nothing is all right. The militants are rising just like
they rose in other countries.
We
have accepted all this and learnt to live the way the lawmakers want
us to live. We are their puppets devoid of any self-respect, any will
of our own. We are powerless and have lost our ability to protest.
We
will soon become intellectually crippled, we will sit by and see our
nation turn into one of those war ridden Muslim states, where militants
rule and disorder prevails.
We
desperately need to go through a reality check. The vigour, the passion,
the patriotism of 1971 seems to have been lost forever. We don't love
Bangladesh like those valiant freedom fighters and the ordinary people
of that time, Bangladesh means nothing to us anymore. We are ignorant
fools who can only be shocked and can only express our dismay and
horror over the deaths of scholars and leaders like Dr Azad, Shah
AMS Kibria, Ivy Rahman and Dr. Yunus of Rajshahi University.
By
Raffat Binte Rashid
On
the cover
 As
spring approaches, it's time for a wardrobe makeover. Leading the
way this week is a design from Mayasir. As the weather turns warmer,
LS recommends a palette of fresh blues and greens, like aqua, turquoise
and lime, as well as frosty pinks and icy lilacs instead of the same
old yellow every year.
Photo credit: Mayasir, Rd 127, Plot 76, Gulshan Avenue,
Gulshan..
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