& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

Mahakal Natya Sampraday Theatre Festival ‘09

Komolabotir Pala: Myth of a princess and her pool

Mainul Hassan
‘Komola Shundori' and her eponymous dighi (large pool) are familiar to folklore enthusiasts in Bangladesh.
On July 27, Jibon Sanket Natya Goshthi (from Habiganj), staged “Komolabotir Pala” at the ongoing Mahakal Natya Sampraday Theatre Festival '09.
Through songs and narratives, performers (Meer Abdul Barek and Zinat Jahan) recounted the tragic story of Princess Komolaboti at the National Theatre Stage, Bangladesh Shilkpakala Academy. The pala, set in Baniyachong (in the Habiganj area), took the audience on a journey — in the time of gods and supernatural beings, kings and rituals, prophecies and curses.
“In Baniyachong,
Habiganj, there is a large pool referred to by the locals as 'Komolaranir Sagar-dighi.’ The myth tries to explain how the pool came to existence," said Aniruddho Kumar Dhor, director of the pala. The story was adapted by Ruma Modak.
Under King Padmanabh's (played by Zahirul Islam) wise rule, Baniyachang earned a reputation. Its people were affluent and content. The only discontent being that the land had no queen. Unbeknown to many, the king had taken a secret oath to remain a bachelor, as he feared that a wife might distance him from his royal duties.
One day, while at mrigaya (hunt), the king gets lost in the woods. Desperately seeking his way out, he crosses the border to another kingdom, ruled by Gunraj. King Gunraj has a beautiful sister, Princess Komola (played by Naznin Sultana).
Padmanabh falls for Komola at first sight. He marries her and brings her to Baniyachong. Now that the king has a queen, everyone celebrates, except for Padmanabh's sister, Keuka (played by Nusrat Jahan). Keuka nurtures dreams of ruling the kingdom one day and Komola appears as a thorn that could burst her bubble. Keuka starts plotting against Komola.
Meanwhile King of the gods, Indra (played by Sumon Chakrabarti), decides to test Padmanabh's conscience. A severe drought devastates the kingdom. People start dying of thirst and at one point start to migrate in hundreds. The king digs six huge pools to ease the water crisis but none manages to store water. Seeing that the king has not forgotten his subjects, Indra is appeased and instructs Padmanabh to summon “Komolabotir Pala" is based on a popular folk myth.
GondabAli (playedbyShipon Unable to withstand the Khan} the chief digger of the suffering of her. subjects. Stam Zu dig another pool — J ill is one will certainly have waler
Sensing an opportunity, Keuka tells Gondab Ali to dig the pool in the name of the queen. According to a prophecy, the pool would not have any water as long as the person it's named after does not sacrifice him-self/herselfinit.
After the pool is completed, Komola becomes aware of this prophecy. Komola steps into the pool; as. she goes under, water starts to rise. Komola disappears in the pool forever.
Legends add that on every full-moon night, Komola used to come ashore to see her child, and the king tried in vain to stop her every time from going back to the water.
“Komolabotir Pala" is the 26th production of Jibon Sanket Natya Goshthi. This was the 18th staging of the pala.