Khoksa, a small Upazila is located in the eastern part of Kushtia. The River Gorai flows by the side of Khoksa-Janipur town. It is a small township mainly centered with some big business houses. Khoksa was famous for its Jute business and Sugarcane (Treacle). Moreover this area is also famous for its sweets, handlooms, potteries.
Poet Rabindranath Tagore many times visited Khoksa, Janipur and adjacent areas to look after his Zemindaries. He composed many poems and songs while visiting this area. Even some songs composed in Khoksa, Janipur were incorporated in Gitanjali (Song Offerings). So far we know he used to come to Janipur (Khoksa) by Panshi boat from Shilaidaha following the river route of Padma/Gorai and stationed at the ghat of Janipur. Staying 2/3 days and meeting with the common people he went back to Shilaidaha where the Kuthibari is located under Kumarkhali Upazila. Famous educationist Principal Herombar Moitra and his son Barristar Ashok Moitra hailed from Khoksa. Mr. Ashok Moitra was also the husband of famous singer Kanon Bala.
Khoksa Railway Station located in Shomspur is the lone railway station in this Upazila. It is about four kilometers north of Khoksa town. There are some families residing around railway station brought there by the British people during construction of railway lines and station. Most probably they came from Odisha and Moddhapradesh. Generation after generation they are associated with railways establishment. Mainly they work as cleaners, porters in and around railway station area. There are some aborigines families live in different places of Khoksa. They resemble very much with Santal, Oraon etc. By profession, they are self-employed and they can make different household items using bamboo and bamboo branch.
Khoksa is famous for plays and dramas staged in regular basis in the winter. In different religious functions of Hindus, Kirton and other cultural activities happen in different places in the Upazila. Moreover, Islamic ‘Jalsa’ held in winter in different places of Upazila is of a big attraction of common people. People enjoy this sort of functions in the evening to late night and they have to have a special preparation and care to go to those functions.
The sweets of Khoksa and Janipur are very famous indeed. Especially, the children like ‘Batasa’, Gilapi and in addition Rosogolla, Dodhi, Rosomalai are very much popular in Kushtia and adjacent districts. This is a common phenomenon that people take some branded sweets of Khoksa and Janipur when they visit this area. The most attractive function at Khoksa and Janipur is Kalipuja held in Bengali month of Magh. In this time a huge number of people from the surrounding districts come to Khoksa and they visit Kalibari and’ Mela’. People get the experience of seeing the ‘boli’ of Billy goats and buffalos as religious ritual of Sanatan Hindu community.
In the Kalipuja Mela, Khoksa and Janipur turns festive look. People of all walks of life and religion visit this fair. Hundreds of people from different places in Bangladesh come to Khoksa -Janipur to visit this fair and want to be an onlooker of the incident of religious ritual ‘Boli’. The name and fame of Kalipuja of Khoksa and Janipur has spread all over Bangladesh and even in Indian State of West Bengal. A number of people coming from West Bengal also visit Kalipuja Mela and ‘Boli’ every year. An important ‘Moth’ was located in the village Fulbari, five kilometers north of Khoksa railway station. Now it is ruined over the years.
Round the year different functions staged in Khoksa and Janipur attract people in adjacent areas and beyond. In the rainy season river cruising becomes popular nowadays. Many people, especially the young are very much fond of river cruising. People take microphones and other recreational means in the boat with food and snacks and start their travel for 2/3 hours. In this way they get amusement and make themselves happy. People interested can come to Khoksa by bus or train round the year from Dhaka and other places in Bangladesh and while visiting Khoksa they can make a composite tour program to visit Shilaidaha Kuthibari of Rabindranath Tagore, Lanlon’s Majar of Cheuriya, Mir Mosharraf Hossain’s bastuvita of Lahiripara and Kangal Harinath press at Kumarkhali. All these areas and structures have much historical and cultural importance in home and abroad and are very close to Khoksa-Janipur.
(Dr. Rumy is a retired civil servant)
