3-day National Pitha Festival begins tomorrow

The National Pitha Festival 2024 is all set to kick off tomorrow (Wednesday), running from 31 January to 10 February, to celebrate the rich cultural heritage of traditional sweets.

This year the theme is "Bengalis in Fish and Rice, Tradition-Enriched Sweet Delicacies, There Are Artists at Every Home Amid Variety of Cooking and Sweets", reads a press release.

To highlight the cultural significance of sweets, the Ministry of Culture, in collaboration with the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, has organised the festival across all 64 districts of the country.

The festival's announcement was made at a press conference held on Monday (29 January) at 3pm in the seminar room (Lift-6) of the National Theatre of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy.

Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy Director-General Liakat Ali Lucky noted the initiative is focused on promoting sweet artisans from rural areas and said, the festival is organised on a national scale to showcase the preparation of these traditional sweets in a grand setting, emphasising the preservation of the culinary heritage passed down by mothers for generations.

Sweet artisans from various districts will participate in the festival, with an emphasis on diversity and prioritising those who have upheld family traditions and preserved nearly extinct sweets.

Each day, two artisans will participate at a stall, and an evaluation committee will assess the quality, diversity, and taste of the sweets. In this process, the top three artisans will be honoured with accolades.

Over 50 stalls are expected to participate, and each participant will receive a certificate from the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy.

Simultaneously, Pitha Festivals will be held in all 64 districts from 31 January to 2 February, participated by regional sweet artisans and managed by District Shilpakala Academies.

The festival's inaugural ceremony is scheduled for 31 January (Wednesday) at 5pm at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy.

The Chief Guest will be Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Mahbub Hossain, along with special guests Secretary of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs Khalil Ahmed, and Ataur Rahman.

The event will feature an article reading by author and researcher Bashir Khan, and a welcome statement by Salahuddin Ahmed, Secretary (Additional Secretary) of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy. It will be presided over by Liakat Ali Lucky, the Director-General of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy.

Additionally, cultural performances are scheduled daily at 5pm throughout the Pitha Festival.