When the rivers are full, the races begin. Nouka Baich, Bangladesh's traditional boat racing, takes place in the wet and autumn seasons of the Bengali calendar, from June to October. Crowds line the banks, drums keep time and long painted boats tear down the river.
The boats
Different parts of the country race different boats:
- Kosha boats in Mymensingh, Pabna and Dhaka
- Goyna boats in Dhaka
- Sarangi boats in Sylhet, Comilla and Brahmanbaria
- Sampans in Chittagong and the coastal districts
The boats carry bold names, chosen to show off their speed. A crew of majhis can be as small as seven people or as large as a hundred, all pulling as one.
The songs
Rowers sing sari gaan, boat songs that keep the oars in rhythm and the crew in good spirits. One favourite sings of the colourful oars of a colourful boat. The faster the boat, the louder the song.
An old tradition, still going
Nouka Baich goes back centuries in rural Bengal. It caught on in the towns in the 18th century, when Nawab families organised races, and it stayed common in Sylhet through British rule. Today rowing in Bangladesh is run by the Bangladesh Rowing Federation, founded in 1974.
It has travelled, too. Every year Birmingham holds its own Nowka Bais, which Wikipedia calls the largest race of its kind in the UK. If you grew up by a river in Sylhet and now live in the West Midlands, the river came with you.
Row it yourself
Our Nouka Baich puts you in the boat. Swipe down on the left and right halves of the river to pull the oars, dodge logs, nets and ferries, and race three rival crews to the flags. Win, and the next, longer boat is yours, from the little dingi to boats with dozens of rowers. Or send a link and race your friends on the same river at the same time, wherever they are.