Ikebana: enhancing the beauty of flowers
The origins of Ikebana are believed to go back to the sixth century, when Buddhism was introduced in Japan. As the religion took root, the custom of dedicating flowers came along with it, which eventually evolved into the art of Ikebana. Another view is that customs of the ancient times, such as planting of evergreen trees and arranging flowers to call the celestial beings, evolved into into Ikebana.
According to one of the organisers the Ikebana Dosokai School located in Dhaka, sponsored by the Japanese Embassy began operations in 1975. Since then, several Bangladeshi students have become enthusiastic learners of this craft.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. The venue of the contest was tastefully decorated with Ikebana arrangements. The winner of the contest was Shamsun Nahar. Her floral arrangment bloomed out in a contrasting combination of blood red flowers on a dark, round and flat bowl. The Ikebana display of second prize winner, Tania Tasrina, was in exquisite colours of green and orange. She had undoubtedly tried to include the various elements of the Bangladeshi culture in her work. The third prize winner, Nadira Parvin, had a sharp edge to her work. Her leaves revealed a remarkable contrast with the small yellow and pink flowers. Special prizes were awarded by Sozan Nakamusa from the Sogetsu Ikebana School, Japan and Maleka Khan, Principal of Dosokai School, Dhaka to Minufar Nasrin, Nurun Nahar and Sultana Shahana for their impressive designs and centring on nature.
Hiroshi Nakamura, a Japanese expert in the craft, created fourteen Ikebana creations for the audience, students and teachers. His amazing art included various kinds of flowers, bamboo shoots and fruits, which he combined with mud pots and vases made of rock.
The demonstration ended with an elaborate design with bamboo shoots, green leaves and wild flowers. The chief guest, Selima Rahman, was invited to undertake an Ikebana arrangement. The day, dedicated to Ikebana, symbolised the close ties between Japan and Bangladesh.