Bengali New Year Celebration : 1420
Pohela Boishakh is undeniably our biggest secular festival. Initially a day
marked by businessmen making new ledgers, it was brought into popular culture
by Chhayanaut in the 60s. In an effort
to suppress Bengali culture, the Pakistani Government had banned poems written
by Rabindranath Tagore, the most famous poet and writer in Bengali literature.
Protesting this attempt, Chhayanat opened their Poyela Boishakh celebrations at
Ramna Park with Tagore's song welcoming the month in 1965. The day continued to
be celebrated in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) as a symbol of Bengali culture.
After 1972 it became a national festival, a symbol of the Bangladesh
nationalist movement and an integral part of the people's cultural heritage. Later, in the mid- 1980s the Institute
of Fine Arts added color to the day by initiating the Boishakhi parade, which
is much like a carnival parade. In the big
metropolitans like Dhaka and Chittagong this day is marked by mass crowd
flocking to hundreds of open air concerts and cultural programs, mask rallies
etc.People’s participation and acceptance of this festival soon
overshadowed the origins of Pohela Boishak but the traditional culture is still
with us. Traders in both rural and urban areas start their accounting by
initiating a new ledger of the year called ‘Hal Khata’. After the first entry
into the book, which was always considered auspicious, the traders would
distribute sweets among their fellow traders and valued clients.
Mughal Emperor Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar, the
renowned grandson of Zahiruddin Muhammad Babar was the 3rd Mughal
Emperor, introduced the Bengali Calendar. In regards of relatively easier tax
collection, Akbar-e-Azam changed the practice of agricultural tax
collection according to Hijri calendar and ordered an improvement of the
calendar because the Hijri calendar, being a lunar calendar- did not agree with
the harvest sessions and eventually the farmers faced severe difficulties in
paying taxes out of season.
The regal astrologer of Emperor Akbar's
reign, Aamir
Fatehullah Siraji , was the one who in fact developed
this calendar, after working out a research on the lunar Hijri and Solar
calendar. The distinctive characteristic of the Bengali year was that,
rather than being a lunar calendar, it was based on a union of the solar and
lunar year. This was essentially a great promotion, as the solar and lunar
years were formulated in very diverse systems.
Primarily this calendar was named as “Fasli San” and then Bongabdo or Bangla
Year was launched on 10/11 March 1584, but was dated from 5th November
1556 or 963 Hijri. This was the day that Akbar defeated Himu in the clash
of Panipat- 2 to ascend the throne.
Akbar-e-Azam’s ordered to resolve
all dues on the last day of Choitro.
The next day was the first day of the New Year (Bengali New Year), the day for
a new opening; landlords used to allocate sweets among their tenants, and
Businessmen would commence a “Halkhata”
(new financial records book) and lock their old ones. Vendors used to provoke
their consumers to allocate sweets and renew their business relationship with
them. There were fairs and festivities allover and gradually Poyela Boishakh
became a day of celebration.
The Bengali New Year begins at dawn, and the day is marked with singing,
processions, and fairs. Traditionally, businesses start this day with a new
ledger, clearing out the old.
People of Bangladesh enjoy National holiday on Pohela Boishakh. all over the
country people can enjoy Fairs and festivals .Here singers sing traditional
songs welcoming the New Year. Food vendors sell conventional foods and artisans
sell traditional handicrafts. People also enjoy traditional jatra plays.
Village dwellers of Bangladesh traditionally clean their housed and people usually
dress new clothes up. Like other festivals of the region, the day is also
marked by visiting relatives, friends and neighbors. People prepare special
dishes for their guests.
The rural festivities have now evolved to become vast events in the cities,
especially the capital Dhaka.
In Dhaka and other large cities, the festivals begin with people gathering
under a big tree.People also find any bank of a lake or river to witness the
sunrise. Artists present songs to welcome the new year, particularly with
Rabindranath Tagore's well known song " Esho, he Boishakh" .
People from all spheres of life wear traditional Bengali dresses. Women are
used to wearing traditional saris with their hair all bedecked in flowers. Likewise,
men prefer to wear traditional Panjabis. A huge part of the festivities in
Dhaka is a vivid procession organized by the students and teachers of Institute
of Fine Arts, University of Dhaka.
In
the Hilly parts of Bangladesh, three separate ethnic groups have their
individual New Year celebrations. Boisuk [বৈশুখ] of Tripura
People, Sangrai of Marma
people and
Biju of Chakma
people; presently they have
come together to celebrate it commonly as Boi-Sa-Bi , a day of a ample diversity
of festivities; specially need to mention the water festival of the Marma people.
Pohela Boishakh is considered to be a lucky time for
wedding in Kolkata.Like Bangladesh people of Kolkata also wear new clothes and
go about socializing. Choitro, is the month of frantic activities and purchases.
Garment traders organize a Choitro sale and sell the garments with profound
discounts. This day being auspicious, new businesses and new endeavors are
started. The “Mahurat” is performed, marking the commencing of new ventures.
Pohela Boishakh is the beginning of all business activities in Bengal.
Nowadays, Pohela Boishakh celebrations also observe
a day of cultural unity without distinction between class, race and religious
affiliations. Of the major holidays celebrated in Bangladesh and West Bengal,
only Pôhela Boishakh comes without any preexisting expectations .Unlike Eid
ul-Fitr & Durga Pujo, where dressing up in lavish clothes has become a
norm, or Christmas where exchanging gifts has become an essential part of
the holiday, Pôhela Boishakh is really about celebrating the simpler, rural roots
of the Bengal. Eventually, more people can take part in the festivities
together without the load of having to reveal one's class, religion, or
financial capacity.
