JOYPURHAT, Bangladesh — Organizers in Joypurhat’s Panchbibi upazila have revived “pata khela,” a fading traditional Bengali folk game, to introduce the contest to a new generation. The game has been disappearing with the passage of time.
The event was inaugurated on Wednesday afternoon, Dec. 24, in Pirpal village of the upazila. Five players took part as “pata” and 20 tantric performers in four groups took part in the contest. People of all ages flocked from surrounding areas to watch the traditional game. Spectators called for it to be held annually and on a larger scale. Organizers said they hope to expand the event in the future with outside support.
Some spectators said ancient Bengali games are being lost to the touch of modernity. Pata khela, an essential part of the fading rural culture, is largely unknown to younger generations, they said. To reintroduce it, young people in Pirpal village organized the event. The game ran from afternoon late into the night.
Around the field, some people chanted mantras. Tantric groups, using the mantras, competed to pull the human-form “pata” from the middle of the field toward their own side. The group able to draw the pata into their own area through their mantras wins. The team with the most points is declared the winner.
Players said the mantra reciters were as delighted as the players, and spectators were thrilled to see the traditional game. They want such entertainment to be put on from time to time. They had come to play not for any prize but to entertain the audience, they said. Organizers said the event was meant to embrace rural culture and introduce the new generation to the game. It was funded by the organizers themselves. With a little help from the government or public representatives, the event could be held on a larger scale in future, they said. The tantric team from Attutul village in the upazila beat three other teams to win the championship. At the end of the contest, the champion was awarded a goose and the runners-up a duck.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report