Traditional Mars procession held in Dhaka on Bengali new year – India Today

Mars procession in Dhaka on Bengali new year (Photo: India Today)

The traditional Mars procession of the Bengali New Year 1429 has been held in Dhaka under the slogan 'Nirmal Karo Mangal Ke Malin Marm Mushaye'. The procession was filled with people of different classes and professions dressed in Baishakhi, holding colourful masks in their hands.

The people gathered in the procession sang - 'Purify, do good and wipe away the filthy heart'.

The new year celebrations in 2020 were cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic and the Mars procession did not take place. In 2021, despite an improvement in the situation, there was no opportunity for everyone to participate. The restrictions have been lifted this year after the decrease in the spread of the virus.

The Mars procession organised by Dhaka university on the first Baishakh has been a part of the new year celebrations in the city for a long time. The program is also seen as a tool in the fight against bigotry.

The procession was started in the 1980s by the faculty of the fine arts department of Dhaka university on the first Baishakh with the call to break the shackles of military rule. The procession was later named 'Mars procession'. The program was recognized as a cultural heritage by UNESCO in 2016.

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Traditional Mars procession held in Dhaka on Bengali new year - India Today