Dancers of Udichi Shilpagosthi, left, and Satyen Sen Shilpagosthi present dance recitals welcoming monsoon on Friday. — Snigdha Zaman

The music of rain and thunder, words praying to get rid off the heat of the sun and attires of soothing colours brought about the feeling of a splash of downpour as the cultural organisations welcomed the first day of the monsoon season through vibrant programmes on Friday morning. 
Colourful dance, music and recitation were presented to glorify the grace of monsoon by artistes of Udichi Shilpagosthi and Satyen Sen Shilpagosthi respectively at Lichutala of the Department of Fine Arts and Hakim Chattar at the Dhaka University campus on the first day of Bengali month Ashar.
Classical artiste Priyanka Gope’s improvisation of raga Miyan Ki Malhaar was the first beginning performance of Udichi Shilpagosthi’s programme. The next performance was presented by the artistes the Shilpagosthi who performed the songs Nilanchal ghano, Chanchala shyamalo and Gaichhi megh mallar gaan in chorus.
Artistes of the same organisation entertained the audiences through their recitation of Nirmelendu Goon’s Brishty and Rabindranath Tagore’s Diner Alo Nibhe Gechhe and Ashar in chorus. Tagore’s another poem featuring the refreshing beauty of monsoon Barsha Mangal was presented by Dalia Ahmed.
The audiences could imagine the refreshes of monsoon through timeless songs Badhu emono badole tumi, Megher o minare and Ashar basha bandhirey, Bahu juger opar hotey respectively by Shuma Ray, Mohua Manjuri, and Biman Chandra Ray and Azad Hafiz. Dalia Nawshin’s rendition of Nazrul song Mor ghumo ghorey and Shafiul Alam Raja’s Bhawaiya song Aaij dawayei darun megh added extra dimension at the show.
However,   the programme could not have been so enjoyable without the charming dance pieces synchronied with Pagla howai and Rim jhim Ghana boroshay performed respectively by Nrittasree and Nritya Nandan.
The advent of monsoon was also celebrated by Satyen Sen Shilpagosthi at the programme which began with the song Miyamallar o meghomallar rendered by Ashit Dey.
The stimulating and revitalizing facade that nature conceives due to the monsoon rain were depicted through some timeless Nazrul songs including Borosha ritu elo elo elore, Rimi rimjhim rimjhim presented by Ranata Shilpagosthi and Panchabhaskar respectively.
The programme premises became lively with lovable chattering of small children who came to participate at the children art competition featuring the uniqueness of monsoon.   
Udichi Shilpagosthi and Satyen Sen Shilpagosthi have been holding such kinds of programmes celebrating monsoon since 2007 and 2008 respectively.