Bangladesh is taking a brisk preparation for the celebration of Pahela Baishakh, the first day of Bengali calendar, that falls on April 14, Monday.
According to traditional practice, the people begin their new day with a new hope for better future by taking sweets or some improved food specially prepared on the occasion.
Here, farmers thank God for the bountiful harvest and pray for prosperity in the coming year.
The traders and businessmen open their new book of accounts “Halkhata” by inviting their clients , offering prayer to the almighty for a better fortune in the new year . They also offer sweets among the clients and well-wishers as a traditional practice.
However, a lots of festivity adds colour and amusements for people from all sections of life. Traditional Baishaki fairs are organised in the rural areas with people buying and selling various handicrafts, household goods and home decoration items, sweets and foodstuffs like puffed rice and cakes of varies kinds.
Entertainment programmes like playing the sticks (Lathi kehela), kite flying, horse or bulls race, boat rowing , circus, puppet show, marry go round and musical events are also arranged on the occasion.
The urban people are also used to enjoy the festival in their urban setting . In the capital city, the day begins with the traditional welcome song “Esho he baishak” rendered by Chayanout cultural organisation at the Ramna green at dawn. It has also turned to be a part of the festivity in urban life to eat wet rice with fried hisha fuish as to recall the village tradition.
Mongol Shovajatra , a group parade wishing welfare for the nation and the individuals, will also be organised by the Fine Arts faculty of Dhaka University at 9am on the day. Participant wearing colourful dresses will carry the effigy and mask of different figures like tiger, fish, ducks, cats with fish etc to demonstrate their wish for prosperity , wellbeing and victory over evil forces.
Various other cultural institutions and organisations.
 |
| Fine Arts students of Dhaka University painting paper masks as a preparation for Mongol Shovajatra on Pahela Baishakh. |
Have chalked out elaborate programmes to celebrate the Bengali new year’s day.
Meanwhile, the tribal community in the hills have launched their three-day Baishabi festival to bid farewell to the old year and welcome a new year.
Apart from Bangladesh, the Bengali and other India communities including Shikhs are celebrating the Pahela Baishakh at home abroad with much enthusiasm and festivity. The date of Baisakhi has major astrological significance as it marks the sun’s entry into Mesh Rashi. Some people therefore know Baisakhi as Mesha Sankranti.
Baishaki in Punjab
The auspicious date of Baisakhi is celebrated as ‘Rongali Bihu’ in Assam, ‘Naba Barsha’ in Bengal, ‘Puthandu’ in Tamil Nadu, ‘Pooram Vishu’ in Kerala and ‘Vaishakha’ in Bihar.
To the Shikh community, Baisakhi is an auspicious festival according to the Nanakshahi calendar. Hence, the festival of Baisakhi is also popularly known as Vaisakhi.
Vaisakhi marks the beginning of the new spring year and the end of the harvest of rabi crop in India. The festival is celebrated with lot of enthusiasm in Indian states of Punjab and Haryana.
To celebrate the day, people wake up early and take a dip in the holy rivers. Soon after, cries of “Jatta aai Baisakhi” rent the skies as the people of Punjab attired in their best clothes break into the Bhangra dance to express their joy.
The date of Baisakhi festival has tremendous significance in Sikhism. They celebrate the festival as a collective birthday of the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh and the foundation of the Khalsa (the Sikh brotherhood) in 1699. Sikhs all over the world celebrate the day with lot of enthusiasm and joy.
 |
| Villagers in Punjab dancing Bhangura in the corn field during baishakhi celebration. |
In Panjub region, major attraction of Baisakhi celebrations in villages is the performance of energetic bhangra and gidda dance by men and women respectively. This very popular traditional folk dance is performed in-groups on the fast beat of dhol. Dancers perform everyday farming scenes of sowing, harvesting, winnowing and gathering of crops through zestful movements of the body to the accompaniment of ballads.
Later during the day, people exchange greetings with friends, neighbours and dear ones and relish best of world famous Punjabi cuisine.
Baishakhi in Bihar
Baisakhi Festival is celebrated as Vaishakha in Bihar with huge fanfare and gusto. People of Bihar celebrated Vaishakha twice a year, first in the Hindu month of Vaishakha (April) and then in the month of Kartika (November). Vaishakha Festival is dedicated to Surya Devta or Sun God in Bihar.
Vaishakha celebrations in Bihar are marked in a village called Surajpur-Baragaon. Following the ancient practice, devotees pay obeisance to the Sun God by taking bath in the temple tank and offering flowers and water from the sacred rivers of Ganga. It may be mentioned Surajpur-Baragaon lake has a temple in honor of Sun God and holds special importance for the people of Bihar, especially during Vaishakha celebrations and Chhat Puja or Sun Worship Festival.
Assamese celebrate Baishakhi as Bihu
 |
| Artists presenting traditional dance during the festival of Assamese “Rongali Bihu”. |
The occasion is celebrated all over Assam to welcome the spring season which marks the beginning of the new year in the Assamese calendar.
The people in Assam celebrated the traditional harvest festival of “Rongali Bihu” or “Bohag Bihu”, the regional version of Baisakhi. Bihu is the National Festival of Assam, one of the most beautiful states of India, known for its tea gardens, lush green forests and the mighty Brahmaputra.
It marks the first day of the Hindu solar calendar and is also observed in Bengal, Manipur, Nepal, Orissa, Punjab, Kerala and Tamil Nadu with different names. It is a quintessentially harvesting festival of a predominantly farming community. The first day (the last day of the year) is Goru (cow) bihu, next is Manu (man) bihu, this day sees delicacies and fineries galore, next day is Gosai (God) Bihu – dedicated to the resident and temporal deities of the dwelling, farm, livestock – equate it Thanksgiving.
True to the rural lifestyle of the community, the celebrations began with giving cattle a thorough scrub and pampering them with specially prepared food. Spread over seven days, the festival marks the beginning of the new Assamese year. Sports events are organised during the day while music and cultural events are performed in the night at select venues in all villages and towns of the state.
 |
| Tribal community in Bangladesh Hill Tracts offering flower to river during Baishabi festival. |
Large crowds are treated to performances of music and the traditional Bihu dance. Bihu festival is a festival of spring, new year and harvest rolled into one. Trees, creepers and orchids are in full bloom and the air turns fragrant with flowers in the lush green Assam hills and plains.
During Bihu, Bihuwans, typical handwoven ‘gamuchas’, are gifted to the near and dear ones. This is not simply a gift, but taken as a symbol of love and respect. Hectic work on handlooms turning out Bihuwans, specially in villages, indicate that the big day is almost at the doorstep.
During the two weeks preceding the event, youths in every village, town and city rehearse Bihu songs and dance to the beats of ‘dhool,’ a traditional Bihu drum. Culutral nights are also organised. Dance competition is a part of these programmes and for the winner, it is a matter of prestige.
Source: Weekly Holiday
