Chhayanaut has announced an expansion of its online activities as Chhayanaut Digital marks its first anniversary, unveiling a slate of research-led programming, archive-based presentations and projects dedicated to preserving cultural memory.
At a press briefing on Sunday (November 30) at the Ramesh Chandra Dutta Memorial Hall in the Chhayanaut Cultural Centre, organisers reviewed a year of activity and screened samples of new content. Jayanto Ray, convener of the platform's advisory council, opened the session by recalling last November's mass gathering at Ray's Bazar memorial ground, when nearly 3,000 people joined Chhayanaut in a collective rendition of the national anthem — an event he said demonstrated the reach and emotional power of digital cultural work.
Laisa Ahmed Lisa, Chhayanaut's general secretary, said the platform was founded to make daily artistic practice an ordinary part of people's lives. "One year ago, our aim was to bring art into everyday rhythms," she said. "Today, thousands are joining the platform to listen, learn and deepen their relationship with culture."
Chhayanaut's digital schedule has already established an audience. Since December 1, 2024, the platform's morning programme "Jagoroni" has posted daily songs and readings intended to rouse and energise listeners. Weekly shows such as "Chironton", broadcast Tuesdays at 9pm, and the Thursday night programme "Ganer Nibiro Path" have drawn substantive engagement. The site also streams student showcases, the music school's "Suchona-Samabesh" series and the participatory "Gaan Obiram" programme.
Performers from Chhayanaut
The newly announced initiatives place archival work at the centre: Chhayanaut said it will mount special projects to catalogue and present recordings, interviews and historic performances, alongside more research-oriented features. The organisation framed the move as a defence of cultural memory at a time when public archives are fragile and informal traditions risk being lost.
Present at the briefing were Chhayanaut president Sarwar Ali, vice-president Partha Tanvir Noved, and Anindya Rahman, who supervises the platform's digital archives. Chhayanaut said its guiding conviction remains unchanged: sustained cultural practice builds a truthful, beautiful and compassionate society — and digital outreach is the means to reach new audiences and preserve shared memory for future generations.
