Artisans in Rajshahi are becoming increasingly busy, working day and night to prepare a wide range of items for the upcoming Boishakhi fair.
In the village of Palpara in Basantapur, Nawhata of Paba upazila, artisans are meticulously crafting a variety of clay items, such as decorative pots, traditional pressed dolls (Tepa Putul), masks, elephants, and horses—which are expected to add vibrant color and charm to this year’s Boishakhi fair.
It is reported that each family in Basantapur's Palpara produces a variety of clay products, which serve as their primary source of livelihood, with the majority of these items being household and decorative pieces.
However, a few families in Palpara make unique items, targeting different fairs around the country, it said.
They produce clay pots, dolls, masks, horses, turtles, small and large dolls, fish, lions, elephants, pigeons, owls, and tigers, all of which they sell at various fairs.
Artisans Bijli Rani Pal and her son, Sajib Pal, are seen carefully dipping several Tepa dolls into buckets of paint and then setting them aside to dry under the sun.
The dipping gives the dolls a uniform color, they said.
Another artisan, Subodh Kumar Pal said: “It’s not just Tepa dolls here — we also make horses, turtles, dolls of various sizes, fish, lions, elephants, pigeons, owls, tigers, and more. There is variety among the Tepa dolls. Some of them depict historical stories — like Champabati, Isa Khan, and Rabindranath Tagore’s Bir Purush, where a figure is shown riding a horse.”
He added: “The dolls mainly reflect different aspects of women’s domestic lives. Some are shown with children in their laps or carrying water pots. Each doll is adorned with unique clothing designs and jewelry — no two are alike. We start preparing for the Boishakhi fair three to four months in advance. Some work will be completed by Thursday. There’s a lot to do, barely time to breathe — so we’re now finishing up the coloring.”
When asked about preparations for the Boishakhi fair, Subodh said: “This year, I’ve made 700 Tepa dolls. Through these dolls, I always try to portray motherhood, women’s domestic life, and various historical themes. Interestingly, even though I make them with my own hands, no two are ever the same. Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t make identical dolls. It's not possible.
“All 700 Tepa dolls are different because they are handmade from clay without the help of any machinery. After shaping, they are painted with a red earth pigment.”
Meanwhile, in the house of artisan Sushanta Kumar Pal in Palpara, the crafting of decorative pots, known as Shokher Haris is in full swing.
Due to various health issues, he is no longer able to work with the same level of attention as before. His son, Mrityunjoy Kumar Pal, and his brother (Sushanta's brother) are continuing the work.
Mrityunjoy said: “We are busy preparing for the Boishakhi fair. One of the fairs will be held in Dhaka at the Sonargaon Folk Art Museum. We’ll have stalls at both fairs. My father and uncle will go there. We’re 90% ready. Now we just need to load the decorative pots onto the transport and take them to Dhaka. These fairs in Dhaka are always delighted by our Rajshahi-made Shokher Haris.”
He added: “Our collection includes 4-piece Shokher Haris, small pots, trays, Panch Saji (five-piece sets), clay dolls, and toys. This year, the prices range from Tk20 to Tk1,000. But it’s not about the price, Shokher Haris represent the heritage of Rajshahi. They are painted with red, blue, green, purple, or ochre colors, featuring designs of lotuses, fish, rice stalks, Lakshmi owls, vermilion boxes, and more.”
