For Ekushey Padak-winning dancer and choreographer Arthy Ahmed, the monsoon is far more than flooded streets, waterlogged roads and traffic congestion—images that increasingly define the season for people living in cities like Dhaka. To her, Barsha (monsoon) is a celebration woven into Bengal’s cultural identity, a season of renewal, togetherness and gratitude that deserves to be embraced even in difficult times.
That philosophy lies at the heart of this year’s “Ghonoghota 2”. Alongside celebrating the monsoon through dance, the organisers will raise funds for people affected by the recent floods in the Chattogram Hill Tracts through a donation campaign in partnership with the JAAGO Foundation.
“We began preparing for this programme almost four months ago, long before the floods,” Ahmed told The Daily Star. “When the disaster happened, we felt we couldn’t simply ignore it.
As artistes, we have a responsibility towards society.”
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She said members of the academy will make individual contributions, while audience members will also be able to donate through two collection booths at the venue.
“We wanted to create a space where people could not only gather to celebrate Barsha, but also stand beside those affected by the floods,” she said.
According to Arthy, the production was conceived as an attempt to reclaim the cultural meaning of the rainy season.
“In cities like Dhaka, people now associate the monsoon mostly with waterlogging and traffic jams,” she said. “But Barsha has been celebrated in Bengal for generations. It is part of our culture. We wanted to bring people together and celebrate the season the way it should be celebrated.”
She believes such celebrations have become increasingly important at a time when urban life often distances people from nature.
“We have celebrated Barsha for hundreds of years. It is beautiful when a city comes together to welcome the rain through music, dance and poetry,” she said.
Ahmed acknowledged that the fundraising effort may be modest but said artists cannot remain detached from moments of crisis.
“We don’t know how much we can ultimately contribute,” she said. “But remaining indifferent is not an option.”
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Jointly organised by the Arthy Ahmed Dance Academy and the Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Dhaka, “Ghonoghota 2” will be held on Friday (July 17) at Bakultala on the university campus. The production marks the academy’s first major presentation since Ahmed received the Ekushey Padak earlier this year.
The 90-minute programme will feature 16 dance performances inspired by the works of Rabindranath Tagore, Kazi Nazrul Islam and Bengal’s folk traditions.
More than 300 performers, aged between three and 70, will take part, including children, first-time performers, adult beginners and participants from diverse professions such as doctors, engineers, teachers, journalists, researchers and homemakers.
Ahmed said the overwhelming response to last year’s inaugural edition encouraged the academy to return with a larger production.
“The first ‘Ghonoghota’ happened almost instinctively,” she said. “This year, audiences and participants wanted it back. That inspired us to make it bigger.”
The programme begins at 11:00 am, and is open to the public. Audience members will be able to contribute to the flood relief campaign throughout the event.
