Celebrating Pohela Boishakh

Introduction:

Boishakh is the first month of Bangle year and Pahela Boishakh is the first day of it. So it bears a great significance to us. Pohela Boishakh is observed with traditional festivities as a part of our national culture. It is a public holiday. Poyela boishakh is celebrated with great fervor in the South Assion of Bengali (Bangladesh) and India (west Bengal) and among Bengali communities living in the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. Bengali New Year Pahela Baishakh connects all Ethnic Benglis irrespective of religious and regional differences. Pohela Boishakh is the occasion to welcome the new year with a new hope of peace, prosperity and good will.

History of Pohela Boishakh:

Pohela Boishakh celebration dates back to Moghal Emperor Jalaluddin Mohmmad Akbar’s reign. Akbar the great, the renowned grandson of Zahiruddin Mohmmad Babar, was the 3rd Maghal Emperor. In the order to ease tax collection, Akbar-e Azamchand viewed the trade of agricultural Tax collection according to Hijri Calendar and ordered a reform of the calendar because the Hijri Calendar, being a longer calendar, did not coincide with the harvest sessions and thus the farmers faced severe difficulties in paying taxes each season.

Celebration of Pohela Boishakh:

Pohela Boishakh is a public festival of the Bengali. It is celebrated among all Bengals irrespective of religious and regional differences. As discussed earlier; the celebrations started from Akbar’s reign. But the Public celebration of Pohela Boishakh and the large scale origination of cultural events have started more recently. Rabindarnath Tagore hade said “cÖwZw`b gvbyl ÿz`ª, `xb, GKvKx wKš‘ Drm‡ei w`‡b gvbyl e„nr, †m mg¯Í gvby‡li ms‡M GK‡Î nBqv e„nr ‡m w`b mg¯Í gbyl¨‡Z¡I kw³ Abyfe Kwiqv gnr[ Protidin manush jhudar deen, ekaki, kintu Utsober din manush brihot, se somosto manushar songe acktro hoiya brihot, sedin somosto monushotver shokti on ubhor koria mohot”]

The summary of the statement is that a person feels stronger, complete and united when he’s among other fellow mates on the occasion of a festival as compared to daily life.

Truly, socializing brings a lot of change in the personality of a person. It actually changes his outlook towards the  makes him broad minded, well-mannered  and better person. Indeed now a days its seen that due to our busy schedule and hectic life we tend to forget the purpose why people come together during festivals is to forget their differences, knowing as soon as the festival is over, the differences are high lighted once again.

The Pohela Boishakh celebrations and festivities reflect the life in rural Bengal. Usually on this day everything is washed and cleaned; people bathe early in the morning and dress in fine clothes and then go to visit relatives and friends. Special food items are prepared for the guests. Starting as a rural festival, Pohela Boishakh has now become an integral part of Bengali culture.

People form lines and walk all dressed up in Traditional Bengali attire. Men wear dhuti/Payehama/lumgi and khrta/pangabi. Young women wear white saris with red borders and adorn themselves with tip, churi and flowers. It’s a custom to start the day with the traditional breakfast of Panta Bhat, Onion, Shobuj Lanka, Achar, Dal and Bhaja Elish Mach (fried Hilsa fish).

Boishakh Fairs are in wealthy parts of Bangladesh. The lifestyle of rural bangle is showcased in almost all these fairs, with various traditional handicrafts, toys, cosmetics, agricultural products as well as various kinds food and sweets all sold at these fairs. The fairs also provide entertainment, with singers and dancers stagings Jatra Pala gan, Kobigan, Jarigan, Gambhira gan, Gazir gan and alkap gan. They present folk songs as well as baul, marafati, mursidi and bhatili songs. Narrative plays like laila-Majnm,Yusuf-Zulekha and Radha-Krishna are often staged. Among other attractions available at these fairs are puppet shows, merry-go-rounds and Giant wheels installed and enjoyed by the children.

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