‘Nakshi Kanthar Math’
Nakshi Kanthar Matt is written by poet Jasim Uddin. Many of Jasim Uddin’s significant works portrayed the rural life of Bengal in a simple yet strikingly artistic fashion. That is why he is known as `PolliKobi’ or Folk Poet. ‘Nakshi Kanthar Math’ is no exception. It is a folk love story ending in tragedy.
A young man named Rupai falls in love with Shaju, a beautiful girl from a neighboring village. With the aid of a match maker, and the joyous consent of their parents, Rupai and Shaju get married. For some time, they live happily.
One day Rupai goes out to see the harvesting of the crops. Unfortunately he gets into a fight. In the consuming battle, men get killed and Rupai must go into hiding. Shaju waits for her love to return. To help pass the time, she starts portraying the sad tale of her life in a Nakshi Kantha, a quilt sewn from old clothes with delicate stitches.
Days, months, years go by, and Shaju still waits for Rupai to return to her. Finally, out of anxiety and hopelessness, Shaju falls down and dies. According to her wishes, her grave is covered with the Nakshi Kantha. Rupai finally returns to his wife and in grief joins his wife in death. The people of the village renamed their village `Nakshi Kanthar Math’ (Field of Embroidered Quilt) to immortalize the tragic saga of Rupai and Shaju’s illustrated love.