A vast, greenery-surrounded village playground buzzed with excitement as rows of spectators gathered on one side. In the middle, teenage girls to middle-aged women took up curved bows and sharp arrows. Plantain trees were planted about 50 feet away as targets. The moment an archer pulled the bowstring and released the arrow, it hit the mark—and every successful shot drew loud applause and cheers from hundreds of men, women, and children, filling the entire field with festive energy.
To preserve the traditional culture of bow and arrow usage—historically rooted in the anti-British Santal rebellion, social self-defense techniques, and wildlife hunting—a day-long archery competition was organized in Birampur, Dinajpur.
On Sunday, the Dhanjudhi Adivasi Sporting Club organized the competition at the Dhanjudhi Graveyard field. Held from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, the event saw participation from 12 teams under the Manji Council of the Dhanjudhi Mission area. Each team consisted of five archers, bringing the total number of participants to 60, including 15 women.
The participation of female archers added a special attraction to this year's competition. Most of the participating women were homemakers and students from various educational institutions. Some wore colorful sarees, while others tucked colorful flowers into their hair buns as they took up their bows and arrows.
As commentary and announcements blared over microphones, the battle of target shooting began in the middle of the field. Arrow after arrow flew to strike the designated targets. Whenever a female archer successfully hit three consecutive targets, rounds of applause and cheers echoed from all sides, while the determination to defeat rival teams shone in the eyes of waiting competitors on the sidelines.
The local ethnic minority gathering drew a remarkable audience. With women participating alongside men, the competition sparked immense curiosity among spectators.
Participant archer Shantoni Murmu said, "As a mother, I have come to play with the bow and arrow. This is our social heritage. We are playing so that our daughters and children can learn this sport by watching us."
She added, "Winning a prize in this competition is not the main thing. The biggest reward is that our children will be inspired to use bows and arrows for self-defense after watching this game."
Ranjit Hembrom, coordinator of the organizing committee, said, "Archery is a tradition of the Santal community. Young men in Santal families go out hunting with bows and arrows at least once a year. The main objective of this event is to preserve our heritage and culture and introduce it to the new generation."
At the end of the day-long competition, the Jaboi team emerged as champions, while the DLC team became runners-up. Father Manuel Hembrom, parish priest of the Dhanjudhi Mission, attended the event as the chief guest.
— Daily Best News Desk • Fearless in the search for truth
Reported by Golam Mostafizar Rahman Milon, Hili (Dinajpur) Correspondent • Edited by the Daily Best News desk. Send corrections to [email protected].
