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Sultan Mela

A centre of cultural exchange
SULTAN Mela (fair) is organised every year in Narail in honour of renowned painter SM Sultan, commemorating his birth anniversary. This fair is now the prime festival of heritage of Narail district, but not confined to Narail alone. In course of time the festival has turned into a centre of cultural exchange and an ideal occasion of exhibiting products of the 10 south-western districts.
Pomp an d col our of the fair has been increasing in recent times as eminent socio-cultural personalities from Dhaka too, visiliteveryyear.
Besides, it attracts a large number of visitors every year from adjoining districts. Sultan mela continues to be an attraction of national culture against the large-scale practice of the city based foreign culture. Even howling children stop when they are assured of visiting the fair.
Every year a famous cultural personality is awarded the "Sultan Medal" by the Sultan Foundation. In 2004 it went to the eminent painter and former Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts of Dhaka University. State Minister for Water Resources Goutam Chakrabarti formally handed over the medal to Aminul Islam
onDecember31, in the midst ofa thunderous applause at a function at the "Sultan-Manch" -a stage constructed in memory of Sultan - on the Narail Victoria College premises.
Although, the fair is organised on August 10 every year, last year's (2004) was shifted to December 25 because of natural calamities, said Iqbal Hossain, secretary of the Sultan Foundation.
Talking to The Daily Star he made and appeal to the government to arrange the fair at national level to render due honourtoSultan.
In observance of seven daylong fair Narail wore a festive mood. Important landmarks of the town and fair premises were illuminated with many strands of coloured lights. Discussions, cultural functions, exhibitions, painting and works of 36 artists, wrestling, lathikhela (mock fight with sticks}, South Asian Federation (SAF) game's gold winner body builder's performances, bicycle race, along with volley ball and ha-do-do competitions alighted the fair.
One of the attractions of the fair was 'Darushilpa' (a wooden sculpture) of Kankar Sutradhor Bapi, a young boy of Shimakhali village of Narail sadar upazila. Bapi's darushilpa was much
appreciated and applauded by the attending crowds.
Lathikhela, wrestling and the body builder’s performances were other enjoyable events that drew many to the fair on the final day.
The fair that began on December 25 was inaugurated by Forest and Environment Minister Tariqul Islam while state Minister for Water Resources Goutam Chakrabarti attended as the chief guesf at the closing ceremony with Narail's Deputy Commissioner and Sultan Foundation's president Nuruddin Ahmed in the chair.
SM Sultan was bom on August 10, 1923 in the village Machhimdia in Narail district. He earned fame home and abroad for his paintings, exhibited in many countries.
Sultan took part in the International Conference of Painters as representative of the then Pakistan in USA in 1950. Cambridge University conferred him with the title 'Man of Asia' in 1982. In 1984 Sultan was awarded the Independence Day Medal. He died on October 101994.
Story & phototMD.WossniN Sehaj