Pohela Boishakh in Bangladeshi Culture

‘Pohela Boishakh’ is the 1st day of the year in Bengali calendar. This is also the New Year for parts of India, Sri Lanka and a few other South East Asian countries. In Bangladesh, ‘Pohela Boishakh’ connects citizens in common joy irrespective of faith and regional differences. This new-year began through the Mughal Empire when farming taxes were collected based on the Hijri which is a lunar date book that didn’t agree with the crop thereby causing hardship among farmers who had to pay taxes out of period. According to the Fatehullah Shirazi (A renowned scholar and astronomer), formulated the Bengali year on the basis of the Hijri lunar and Hindu solar calendars.

The new farming year was opening introduced on 10th or 11th March 1584, but it was dated from Akbar's ascension to the throne in 1556. Then the New Year became identified as “Bangla Year”, which usually known as “Bonggabdo”. Celebrations of Pohela Boishakh started from Akbar's reign (1556). It was usual to clear up all dues on the last day of the Bengali Year (last day of Choitro). On the next day of the New Year (Pohela Boishakh), landlords would keep amused their tenants with sweets. The major event of the day was to open a new book of accounts or new accounts. Which normally known as “Halkhata”.

Celebration of Pohela Boishakh at Ramna Park

This is still done in a lot of saleable shops and markets. ‘Pohela Boishakh’ in Bangladesh is closely linked with rustic Bengal but the festivity has spread to the cities. Fairs and festivals are held with farming products and handicrafts for auction while songs and dances provide amusement to all. The largest fair is held in Dhaka where generally 100,000 people gather together to welcome the new-year. As mentioned former, the festivity of Bengali New Year, ‘Pohela Boishakh’ takes place both in West Bengal and Bangladesh.

But, ‘Pohela Boishakh’ in Bangladesh didn’t receive a joint form until 1965. During the growing association for a self-governing state from Pakistan that began by the end of the 1940s and continued until the sovereignty in 1971, the former Pakistani Government implemented a lot of policies that were somewhat modified versions of the British “Split and Law” principle. In additional words, those policies were destined to differentiate a Bengali Muslim from others and keep away from a strong, joint movement for self-government. As a continuance to such steps, the Pakistani administration banned poems by the Noble winning Bengali writer, Shree Rabindranath Tagore. Then, Chhayanaut, the only main Fine Arts institution of the time intended their artistic show for Pohela Boishakh to be a means of complaint.

Preparation for Monghal Sobhajatra in Pohela Boishakh

Pohela Boishakh marks the begin day of the farming season. Generally on Pohela Boishakh, people bath early in the morning and dress in well clothes. Most of women and girls wear “Sari”, which color is mixed up with red and white and beautify themselves with Churi, Ful and Tip and most of the man and boys dress in “Panjabi”, Pajama, Lungi, Dhuti and Kurta, which color is also varied up with red and white. They spend much of the day visiting relatives, friends and neighbors and going to fair. Particular foods are prepared to amuse guests. Lots of townspeople begin the day with the conventional breakfast of “Panta Bhat” (rice soaked in water), green chilies, onion and fried Hilsa fish.

Traditional food of Pohela Boishakh- Panta Bhat

This is one country festival that has become extremely big in the cities, particularly in Dhaka and Chittagong. Different organizations brought out processions and prearranged musical programmes, fairs and cake festivals to blot the day. Students of the Institute of Fine Arts of Dhaka University took out customary “Mangal Shobhajatra” in the morning with thousands of revelers wearing chequered masks. The colorful parade was decorated with paper sculptures of a gigantic tiger, Doyel (magpie robin) which is the national bird, a rooster and a long snake and masks of owl, tiger and fish. Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) affirmed off-limit to all vehicles roads stretching from Matshya Bhaban to Shahbagh and Doyel Chattar to TSC of the Dhaka University.

A sum of 24 CCTV cameras would be set up across the city. Members of the law agencies will deal out drinking water among public at Ramna Park during the programme and Fire Brigade and ambulance will also be in position. Safety measures would also be taken at the cinema halls and ambassadorial zone. Different socio-cultural organizations have chalked out intricate programmes to rejoice the day. Bangla Academy and Nazrul Institute arrange separate programmes to welcome the Bengali New Year. The Liberation War Museum will stage a variety of programmes that contain dance, ‘puthi-path’ and folk songs at 10:00am on the day. Although the ceremony of Pohela Boishakh has become admired in the urban areas, but New Year's revels are closely linked with rustic life in Bengal.

Mongal Sobhajatra in Pohela Boishakh

Generally on the day the whole thing is scrubbed and cleaned. People bathe early in the morning and dress in fine clothes and then go to visit relatives, friends and neighbors. Special foods are prepared to entertain guests. Baishakhi fairs are arranged in lots of parts of the country. Various agricultural products, toys, traditional handicrafts, cosmetics as well as a variety of kinds of food and sweets are sold at these fairs. The fairs also offer entertainment, with singers and dancers staging Jatra, Kavigan, Palagan, Jarigan, Gazirgan, Gambhiragan and Alkaap gan. They present folk songs as well as Baul, Marfati, Murshidi and Bhatiali songs. Narrative plays like Yusuf-Zulekha, Laily-Majnu and Radha-Krishna are staged.

Among additional attractions of these fairs are puppet shows and merry-go-rounds for kids. Many old festivals linked with New Year's Day have left, while new festivals have been additional. With the elimination of the zamindari system, the punya linked with the closing of land revenue accounts has moved out. Kite flying in Dhaka and bull racing in Munshiganj used to be extremely colorful events. Another well-liked village games and sports were horse races, bullfights, flying pigeons, cockfights and boat racing. Some festivals, however, carry on to be observed; for instance, bali (wrestling) in Chittagong and gambhira in Rajshahi are still accepted events.

Fair in Pohela Boishakh

Nowadays, Pohela Boishakh festivity is not only in Bangladesh but it celebrates in lots of countries in Asia. However, Bangladesh Boishakhi carnival celebrates in Australia, Sweden and UK. Though, in UK, Boishakhi festivity takes place on street as Boishakhi Carnival which is the biggest Asian carnival in Europe. On the other hand, Bangladeshi society in Sweden rejoice this festival with full of pleasure. They bring out this festival road march and move to dissimilar street. Obviously, in Australia, the Boshakhi rejoice in lots of cities including Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra etc. Though, at Sydney there is an Olympic Park where the Boshakhi fair takes position where Bangladeshi sell Bangladeshi food to restricted Australian people to exchange civilization.

At the ending, Pohela Boishakhi takes position in various Arab countries through fair and food festivity. Now, Pohela Boishakh celebrations also blot a day of cultural unity without difference between class and religious affiliations. Of the chief holidays celebrated in Bangladesh, only Pohela Boishakh comes with no any preexisting expectations (precise religious individuality, culture of gift-giving etc.). Unlike holidays like Eid ul-Fitr, where dressing up in plentiful clothes has become a standard, or Christmas where exchanging gifts has become an essential fraction of the holiday, Pohela Boishakh is really about celebrating the simpler, country roots of the Bengal. As a result, more people can contribute in the festivities jointly without the load of having to make known one's class, faith or economic ability.