Pohela Boishakh or Bengali New Year is the traditional new year day of the Bengali people. It is celebrated on 14 April as a national holiday in Bangladesh, and on 15 April in India. The festival date is set according to the lunisolar Bengali calendar as the first day of its first month Baishakh.
In Bengali, Pohela stands for 'first' and Boishakh is first month of Bengali calendar. The festival is celebrated with processions, fairs and family time. The traditional greeting for Bengali New Year is Shubho Nabobarsho which is means Happy New Year.
History of Pohela Boishakh:
Akbar the Mughal emperor was collecting the tax under his reign from 1556 to 1609. On the times, the economy was fully depended on the Agricultural productions. That was the time; the Arabic or Hijri year didn't match for collecting the Agricultural products as the Tax.
Then he made a new calendar to collect the Tax from the people who were fully depended on the Agricultural products. That Calendar was named as Bangla calendar and the 1st day of this calendar known as the Pohela Boishak.
Thousands of people crowded in Ramna Botomul to celebrate Pohela Boishakh
Thousands of people crowded in Ramna Botomul to celebrate pohela boishakh:-
The people of Bangladesh are welcoming the new Bangla year, Pohela Boishakh 1424, with much enthusiasm and colourful festivals.
In Dhaka, thousands of people joined Chhayanaut’s programmes at the Ramna Batamul after Friday’s sunrise to welcome Boishakh where its in-house artists have been performing since 6am.
Besides, the cultural organisation is also celebrating its 50th anniversary.
Chhayanaut says this year they will be presenting innovative performances. The first segment featured an instrumental session followed by music and poetry. Lokpala will be in the last segment.
After welcoming Boishakh, 115 artists sang “Aloker Ei Jhornadharay”.
This was the opening song in the first-ever Chhayanaut-organised Pohela Boishakh celebrations in 1967 protesting against the oppression and cultural aggression of the Pakistan. The song has since been sung in following Pohela Boishakh celebrations.
Chhayanaut’s this year’s theme is ‘joy, search for identity and humanity’.
Marking Chhayanaut’s 50th anniversary, Md Farashuddin unveiled the cover of “Aloker Jhornatola” memorial at Romeshchandra Dutt memorial auditorium at Chhayanaut building on Thursday afternoon.
Pohela Boishakh is one of the most colourful festivals through which the Bangalis bid farewell to the old year and welcome the new year.
Meanwhile, security has been ratcheted up around the Ramna Batamul. Police are not allowing anyone to enter the area with any kind of bags.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) is giving out free bottled drinking water to women, children and the elderly people. Thousands of people have turned up this year in festive mood.
Police have ordered to wrap up open-air events in Dhaka before 5pm and said such programmes on the Dhaka University campus must end before 6pm.
The day is a public holiday. The government has planned programmes to celebrate the day.
Initiatives have been taken by different ministries to observe Pohela Boishakh this year with more importance after the Mongol Shobhajatra was inscribed on the Unesco’s Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in November last year.
The government has ordered all the educational institutions to bring out Shobhajatra.
President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina greeted the people in separate messages on the occasion.
Different national dailies will publish supplements while Bangladesh Television and Bangladesh Betar will air special programmes on the day.
credit:dhakatribune.com
