Corak Puja (commonly recognized as Chorak or Charak Puja) is one of rural Bengal’s most intense, visually striking, and spiritually profound folk religious traditions. Celebrated predominantly by Hindu communities just before the onset of the Bengali New Year, this ancient ritual is deeply anchored in agrarian spiritual systems, fertility worship, and divine protection. Dedicated to deities such as Lord Shiva and Dharma Thakur, the festival features raw, extraordinary displays of devotion—ranging from strict ritual fasting and fire-walking to traditional body-suspension and high-energy public processions.
Designed specifically for documentary photographers, visual anthropologists, and culture-driven travelers, this workshop offers unprecedented access to living heritage. Rather than superficial sightseeing, our 7-day expedition plunges you into the heartbeat of rural Bengal and the urban chaos of Bangladesh. You will navigate through high-stakes festival grounds, capturing profound moments of human endurance, vibrant cultural expressions, and authentic community life.
The tour is expertly led by Istiyak Ahamed Srabon, a seasoned professional guide in Dhaka with extensive field experience. His local expertise ensures safe, respectful, and deeply intimate access to remote village rituals, temple ceremonies, and local practitioners.
Why Join Our Corak Puja Workshop?
* Comprehensive Cultural Immersion: Dive deep into the rare folk traditions, indigenous lifestyles, and sacred rituals of rural Bangladesh.
* Exclusive Access: Gain unique entry into festival preparations, community prayers, and private village ceremonies away from mass tourism.
* Diverse Visual Narrative: Seamlessly transition from raw spiritual devotion in the countryside to urban street photography, river life, shipyards, and the undulating tea gardens of Sreemangal.
* Professional Leadership: Benefit from meticulous local logistics, safety coordination, and expert on-ground mentorship tailored for serious image-makers.
By the end of this journey, you will return home with a compelling, portfolio-grade collection of images that articulate the raw soul, vibrant energy, and timeless human stories of Bangladesh.
Track the food supply chain in Dhaka and the movement of people. Karwan Bazar offers intensive scenes of labour and trade, while adjoining railway tracks and informal communities depict survival on the outskirts. Kamalapur Railway Station captures stories of waiting, movement, departure, and everyday people.
Explore Dhaka’s historic river port and cross the Buriganga to open-air shipyards where vessels are built, repaired, dismantled, and painted completely by hand—one of the most visually intense labour environments in Bangladesh.
Visit the Tea Capital of Bangladesh: Sreemangal. Photograph undulating tea gardens, tea pluckers at work, and daily life in worker colonies. Visit indigenous village areas where traditional lifestyles, crafts, and community bonds remain strong.
Corak Puja is performed as a vow-based ritual seeking protection, fertility, healing, and spiritual fulfilment. Devotees join in processions, fast, suspend their bodies from trees, perform symbolic acts of endurance, and make offerings to deities.
Capturing the raw human stories, vibrant cultural festivals, and breathtaking heritage landscapes of Bangladesh through immersive documentary photography expeditions.