Pahela
Baishakh is a part and parcel of Bangle culture. It is the first day of Bengali
Calendar year. The people of Bangladesh observe the day with great festivities.
The Baishakhi Mela is also celebrated with great festivals and it is perhaps
the largest festival of Bangle culture.
People
from all walks of life celebrate the festival in joyous mood. Urban people try
to keep a while away from their blind impression of western culture and tend to
be a Bangle at least this day. Similarly, the people of village pass the day
meeting one another, giving and receiving invitations, enjoying music etc. They
also observe the day by acting local performers and doing many other festive
deeds.
Usually
on Pahela Baishakh, the home is thoroughly washed and cleaned; people bathe
early in the morning and dress in fine clothes. They spend much of the day
visiting relatives, friends, and neighbour and going to fair. Fairs are
arranged in many parts of the country. Various agricultural products,
traditional handicrafts, toys, cosmetics, as well as various kinds of food and
sweets are sold at these fairs. The fair also provide with singers, dancers and
traditional plays and songs. Horse races, bull races, bull fights, cockfights,
flying pigeons, boat racing were once popular. In the rural area, generally the
fair is held in the open place or on the bank of a river or a canal.
Businessmen
open new books of account this very day which is known as Halkhata. The traders
and the shopkeepers offer sweets to their customers. They try to complete their
old dealings and open new accounts. Thus Pahela Baishakh comes every year with
great joy and delight.
In
Dhaka city, the Ramna Batamul is the center around which New Year celebration
has spread around the city and gradually across the country. This festival
contains exhibition, music, poetry, crafts, photography, theatre etc. in the
urban area.
Pahela
Baishakh connects all ethnic Bengali's irrespective of religious and
regional differences. Generally, it is a national holiday celebrated
around April 14 according to the official amended calendar designed
by the Bangla Academy.
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