The historical importance of Pohela Boishakh in the
Bangladeshi context may be dated from the observance of the day by Chhayanat in
1965. In an attempt to suppress Bengali culture, the Pakistani Government had
banned poems written by Rabindranath Tagore, the most famous poet and writer in
Bengali literature. http://smartseolink.org/details.php?id=175806
Protesting this move, Chhayanat opened their Pohela Boishakh
celebrations at Ramna Park with Tagore's song welcoming the month. The day
continued to be celebrated in East Pakistan as a symbol of Bengali culture. http://freeweblink.org/details.php?id=94758
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 colour to
the day by initiating the Boishakhi parade, which is much like a carnival
parade.http://www.heartfeltonline.com/comment/12867#comment-12867
Today, Pohela Boishakh celebrations also mark a day of
cultural unity without distinction between class or religious affiliations. Of
the major holidays celebrated in Bangladesh, only Pohela Boishakh comes without
any preexisting expectations (specific religious identity, culture of
gift-giving, etc).http://www.link-man.org/holi-images_161816.html
Unlike holidays like
Eid_ul-Fitr, where dressing up in lavish clothes has become a norm, or
Christmas where exchanging gifts has become an integral part of the holiday,
Pohela Boishakh is really about celebrating the simpler, rural roots of the
Bengal. http://populardirectory.biz/holi-images_200450.html
As a result, more peoeple can participate in the festivities
together without the burden of having to reveal one's class, religion, or
financial capacity.
In Chittagong Hill
Tracts The punya or rajpunya is now observed only in the three figurative
tribal kingdoms in Bangladesh - Rangamati, Bandarban and Khagrachori.
http://sublimedir.net/Happy-Holi-Images_138148.html
http://sublimedir.net/Happy-Holi-Images_138148.html
In Rangamati, the
principal town of Chittagong Hill Tracts and the seat for the Hill
Administrative Council, three different ethnic minority groups have come
together to merge their observance of Pohela Baishakh. Boisuk of Tripura
people, Sangrai of Marma people and Biju of Chakma people have come together as
BoiSaBi, a day of a wide variety of festivities. http://www.directory5.org/holi-images-events_121252.html
One of the more
colorful activities of the day in the hills is the water festival of the Marma
people. Celebration in other countries
Main article: Baishakhi Mela
The Bengali community in the United Kingdom celebrate the
Bengali new year with a street festival in London. It is the largest Asian
festival in Europe and the largest Bengali festival outside of West Bengal.
Main article: Vaisakhi
The Hindu communities in India, where the holiday is called
Vaisakhi, also celebrate the beginning of Spring and the end of the harvest
season on Phela Boishakh. The Sikh communities celebrate 'Vaisakhi because it
is the birth of the Sikh order of the Khalsa. Vaisakhi is also called Rongali
Bihu in Assam, Puthandu in Tamil Nadu and Pooram Vishu in Kerala.
Main article: Vesak
In Buddhist communities, the month of Boishakh is associated
with Vesak, known as Visakah Puja or Buddha Purnima in India, Visakha Bucha in
Thailand, Waisak in Indonesia and Wesak in Sri Lanka and Malaysia. It
commemorates the birth, Enlightenment and passing of Gautama Buddha on the one
historical day, the first full moon day in May, except in a leap year when the
festival is held in June.
Although this festival is not held on the same day as Pohela
Boishakh, the holidays typically fall in the same month (Boishakh) of the
Bengali, Hindu, and Theravada Buddhist calendars, and are related historically
through the spread of Hinduism and Buddhism in Southeast Asia.
Pohela Boishakh does, however, coincide with the New Years in many other calendars, including those of South India (Kerala, Tamil Nadu), Sri Lanka, Nepal, Eastern India (Assam, Manipur, Orissa), and Southeast Asia (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand).
In Australia, the Bengali new year is celebrated in various
cities such as Melbourne and Canberra through Boi Shakhi Melas (fairs) where
people gather to celebrate the culture of Hindu Bengalis through dances,
fashion shows, stalls of art, music, clothing, food and etc. http://www.camward.com/volunteer
However the largest celebration for the Bengali new year in
Australia is the Sydney Boi Shakhi Mela which was traditionally held at the
Burwood Girls High School but from 2006 has been held at the Homebush Stadium.
It attracts large crowds and is a very anticipated event on the Australian
Hindu Bengali community's calendar.
See also Festivals of
West Bengal Panjika Thai New Year External links Banglapedia Entry on Pohela
Boishakh Bangla New Year Day or Pohela Boishakh v d e Bengali
culture
General
Art Architecture of Bengal Architecture of Bangladesh
Calendar Cinema Cuisine History Language
Literature Music Poetry Renaissance Script Sport
(Bangladesh) Theatre Wedding Bengali people (list)
Specific
Dhaki Fairs in Birbhum Folk Culture of
Bangladesh Folk Literature of Bangladesh Jatra Maimansingha
Gitika Nabanna Panjika Pohela Baishakh Poush Mela
Rabindra Sangeet Tarja Folk Songs and Dances Alkap Baul
Bhadu Bhatiali Bhawaiya Chhau Gombhira Kavigan
Major festivals
Makar Sankranti (Pongal) Holi Rama Navami
Krishna Janmashtami Ganesh Chaturthi Navratri (Mysore Dasara -
Durga Puja - Vijayadashami) Diwali (Bhau-Beej) Chhath Regional New
Year Gudi Padwa (Marathi, Konkani) / Ugadi (Telugu, Kannada) Cheti Chand
(Sindhi) / Vaisakhi (Punjabi) / Pohela Boishakh (Bengali) Puthandu (Tamil) /
Vishu (Malayalee)
Holy days
Karwa Chauth Gowri Habba Thaipusam Maha
Shivaratri Ekadasi Mahalakshmi Vrata Raksha Bandhan Holy
periods Chaturmas Dhanurmas
Categories: April observances | Bangladeshi festivals | New
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