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|litcolor =
|litcolor =
|longtype = Social and cultural
|longtype = Social and cultural
|significance = Hindu new year,<ref name=crump114q/> broadly celebrated by all Bengalis<ref name="Sengupta2011">{{cite book|author=Nitish K. Sengupta|title=Land of Two Rivers: A History of Bengal from the Mahabharata to Mujib|date=2011|publisher=Penguin Books India|isbn=978-0-14-341678-4|pages=96–98}}</ref>
|significance = Bengali new year, broadly celebrated by all Bengalis<ref name="Sengupta2011">{{cite book|author=Nitish K. Sengupta|title=Land of Two Rivers: A History of Bengal from the Mahabharata to Mujib|date=2011|publisher=Penguin Books India|isbn=978-0-14-341678-4|pages=96–98}}</ref>
|date2017 = Fri, 14th April (Bangladesh),<ref>[https://www.bb.org.bd/mediaroom/holiday.php Official Holiday Calendar], Central Bank of Bengladesh</ref><br>Sat, 15th April (India)<ref>[http://calcuttahighcourt.nic.in/GenNotice/pdf_files/holiday-list-subordinate-civil-crm-courts-2017.pdf Official Holiday Calendar], Kolkata High Court, Government of West Bengal</ref>
|date2017 = Fri, 14th April (Bangladesh),<ref>[https://www.bb.org.bd/mediaroom/holiday.php Official Holiday Calendar], Central Bank of Bengladesh</ref><br>Sat, 15th April (India)<ref>[http://calcuttahighcourt.nic.in/GenNotice/pdf_files/holiday-list-subordinate-civil-crm-courts-2017.pdf Official Holiday Calendar], Kolkata High Court, Government of West Bengal</ref>
|duration = 1 day
|duration = 1 day

Revision as of 17:32, 7 April 2017

Pahela Baishakh
Pahla Baishakh celebration in Dhaka, Bangladesh
Official nameপহেলা বৈশাখ
Observed byBengali people
TypeSocial and cultural
SignificanceBengali new year, broadly celebrated by all Bengalis[1]
CelebrationsMangal shobhajatra (processions), Baishakhi Mela Fair, Gift-giving, Visiting relatives and friends, Songs, Dance
Date1 Boishakh
Frequencyannual
Related toVaisakhi, Vishu, Puthandu, Pana Sankranti, Sri Lankan New Year, Thai New Year, Cambodian New Year, Burmese New Year, Lao New Year

Pahla Baishakh (Bengali: পহেলা বৈশাখ, or Bengali New Year Bengali: বাংলা নববর্ষ, Bangla Nôbobôrsho) is the traditional new year day by the Bengali people. It is celebrated on 14 April as a national holiday in Bangladesh, and on 14 or 15 April in the Indian states of West Bengal, Tripura and elsewhere by people of Bengali heritage, irrespective of their religious faith.[4]

The festival date is set with the solar cycle of the lunisolar Bengali calendar as the first day of its first month Baishakh.[5] It therefore almost always falls on or about 14 April every year on the Gregorian calendar.[5] The same day is observed elsewhere as the traditional new year, but is known by other names such as Vishu in Kerala, Puthandu in Tamil Nadu and Vaisakhi in central and north India.[6]

The festival is celebrated with processions, fairs and family time. The traditional greeting for Bengali New Year is শুভ নববর্ষ "Shubho Nabobarsho" which is literally "Happy New Year". The festive Mangal Shobhajatra is organized in Bangladesh. In 2016, the UNESCO declared this festivity organized by the Dhaka University as a cultural heritage of humanity.[7]

Names

In Bengali, Pahela (Bengali: পহেলা) stands for ‘first’ and Baishakh (Bengali: বৈশাখ) is the first month of the Bengali calendar (Bengali: পহেলা বৈশাখ Pôhela Baishakh).[5] Bengali New Year is referred to in Bengali as "New Year" (Bengali: নববর্ষ Nababarsha).

The festival is ancient, and related to the traditional Hindu new year called Vaisakhi in other parts of the India.[8]

Bangladesh

Mangal Shobhajatra at Pohela Baishakh in Bangladesh. UNESCO recognises Mangal Shobhajatra as cultural heritage.[9]

The Bengali New Year is observed as a public holiday in Bangladesh. It is celebrated across religious boundaries by its Muslim majority and Hindu minority.[10] According to Willem van Schendel and Henk Schulte Nordholt, the festival became a popular means of expressing cultural pride and heritage among the Bangladeshi as they resisted Pakistani rule in the 1950s and 1960s.[11]

The day is marked with singing, processions, and fairs. Traditionally, businesses start this day with a new ledger, clearing out the old. Singers perform traditional songs welcoming the new year. People enjoy classical jatra plays. People wear festive dress with women desking their hair with flowers. White-red color combinations are particularly popular.[12]

Bangladeshi eat festive foods on Pohela Boishakh. These include panta bhat (watered rice), ilish vaja (fried hilsa fish), and various special bharta (pastes).[13][12]

In Dhaka

Students of Charukala (Fine Arts) Institute, Dhaka University preparing masks for Pahela Baishakh
Colorful celebration of Pahela Baishakh in Dhaka.

The celebrations start in Dhaka at dawn with a rendition of Rabindranath Tagore's song "Esho he Baishakh" by Chhayanat under the banyan tree at Ramna (the Ramna Batamul). An integral part of the festivities is the Mangal Shobhajatra, a traditional colourful procession organised by the students of the Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Dhaka (Charukala). According to the history, the rudimentary step of Mangal Shobhjatra was started in Jessore by Charupith, a community organization, in 1985. Later in 1989 the Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Dhaka arranged this Mangal Shobhajatra with different motives and themes. Now, the Mangal Shobhajatra is celebrated by different organization in all over the country.[14]

The Dhaka University Mangal Shobhajatra tradition started in 1989 when students used the procession to overcome their frustration with the military rule. They organized the festival to create masks and floats with at least three theme, one highlighting evil, another courage, and a third about peace.[7] It also highlighted the pride of Bangladeshi people for their folk heritage irrespective of religion, creed, caste, gender or age.[7]

In recent years, the procession has a different theme relevant to the country's culture and politics every year. Different cultural organizations and bands also perform on this occasion and fairs celebrating Bengali culture are organized throughout the country. Other traditional events held to celebrate Poila Boishakh include bull racing in Munshiganj, wrestling in Chittagong, boat racing, cockfights, pigeon racing.[15]

India

Poila Baisakh festive meal.

Bengali people of India have historically celebrated Pohela Baishakh, and it is an official regional holiday in its states of West Bengal and Tripura. The day is also called Naba Barsha.[16]

Like the new year day in the rest of India, Begali families clean their house and decorate them with alpana (rangoli). In the center of the alpana color pattern, they place a earthen pot, filled with water, capped with mango leaves and marked with auspicious Hindu red and white swastika sign.[16] Ganesha – the god of auspicious beginnings, and Lakshmi – the goddess of prosperity and wealth are remembered. Many people visit the nearby river to say their prayers and take a ritual bath.[16]

Notable events of West Bengal include the early morning cultural processions called Prabhat Pheri. These processions see dance troupes and children dressed up with floats, displaying their performance arts to songs of Rabindra Nath Tagore.[17]

Tripura and northeast India

Pahela Baishakh is a state holiday in Tripura. People wear new clothes and start the day by visiting Hindu temples. The day marks the traditional accounting new year for merchants.[18][19] The Hindu Bengalis perform Kumari puja and Ganesha puja, youngsters visit elders to seek their blessings, and women put red sindoor (vermilion) on each other's head as a mark of good wishes.[19] Festive foods such as confectionery and sweets are purchased and distributed as gifts to friends and family members.[19]

The festival is also observed by the Bengali communities in other eastern states such as Assam.[20]

West Bengal

Pahela Baishakh has been the traditional Hindu New Year festival in the West Bengal state, with the new year referred to as the Naba Barsha.[8] The festival falls on April 14 or 15, as West Bengal follows its traditional historic Bengali Hindu calendar, which adjusts for solar cycle differently than the one used in Bangladesh where the festival falls on April 14.[21]

Celebration in other countries

Main article: Baishakhi Mela

Bangladesh Heritage and Ethnic Society of Alberta in Canada celebrates its Heritage Festival (Bengali New Year) in a colorful manner along with other organizations. Bengali people in Calgary celebrate the day with traditional food, dress, and with Bengali culture.[22][23] The festival's 'Mangol Shovajatra' has been recognized by the UNESCO as world heritage.[24]

Related festivals

The Pohela Baishakh new year day is celebrated elsewhere in the Indian subcontinent but called by other names. For example, it is called Vaisakhi by Hindus and Sikhs in north and central India, which too marks the solar new year.[25][26][6] The same day every year is also the new year for many Buddhist communities in parts of southeast Asia such as Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Cambodia, likely an influence of their shared culture in the 1st millennium CE.[6] Some examples include:

  1. Rongali Bihu in Assam
  2. Bikram Samwat / Naya Barsh in Nepal
  3. Puthandu in Tamil Nadu
  4. Vaisakhi in central and north India
  5. Vishu in Kerala
  6. Vishuva Sankranti in Odisha
  7. Aluth Avuruthu in Sri Lanka.[27]
  8. Songkran in Thailand
  9. Chol Chnam Thmey in Cambodia
  10. Songkan / Pi Mai Lao in Laos
  11. Thingyan in Burma

However, this is not the universal new year for all Hindus. For some, such as those in and near Gujarat, the new year festivities coincide with the five day Diwali festival. For others, the new year falls on Ugadi and Gudi Padwa, which falls a few weeks before Puthandu.[6]

See also

Gallery

  • "Swagatam", (English: Welcome) a Bengali word.
    "Swagatam", (English: Welcome) a Bengali word.
  • Bangladeshi children with Pahela Baishakh placard
    Bangladeshi children with Pahela Baishakh placard
  • Bangladeshi girls wearing traditional sari with flower crown on Pahela Baishakh celebration in Chittagong, 2016.
    Bangladeshi girls wearing traditional sari with flower crown on Pahela Baishakh celebration in Chittagong, 2016.
  • Bangladeshi girl with flower crown at Pahela Baishakh celebration in Chittagong. 2016.
    Bangladeshi girl with flower crown at Pahela Baishakh celebration in Chittagong. 2016.
  • Art competition at Pahela Baishakh celebration in Chittagong, 2016.
    Art competition at Pahela Baishakh celebration in Chittagong, 2016.
  • "Shubha Nababarsha", in Bengali; englisg meaning Happy New Year.
    "Shubha Nababarsha", in Bengali; englisg meaning Happy New Year.
  • Stall at Baishakhi Fair.
    Stall at Baishakhi Fair.
  • Pahela Baishakh Celebration by the Women Association, Abudhabi, UAE
    Pahela Baishakh Celebration by the Women Association, Abudhabi, UAE

References

  1. ^ Nitish K. Sengupta (2011). Land of Two Rivers: A History of Bengal from the Mahabharata to Mujib. Penguin Books India. pp. 96–98. ISBN 978-0-14-341678-4.
  2. ^ Official Holiday Calendar, Central Bank of Bengladesh
  3. ^ Official Holiday Calendar, Kolkata High Court, Government of West Bengal
  4. ^ Kapila D. Silva; Amita Sinha (2016). Cultural Landscapes of South Asia: Studies in Heritage Conservation and Management. Taylor & Francis. pp. 159–162. ISBN 978-1-317-36592-1.
  5. ^ a b c Kapila D. Silva; Amita Sinha (2016). Cultural Landscapes of South Asia: Studies in Heritage Conservation and Management. Taylor & Francis. pp. 161–168. ISBN 978-1-317-36592-1., Quote: "Pohela Boishakh is celebrated on the first day of Boishakh, the first month of the Bengali calendar. It falls on 14 April in the Gregorian calendar, and it coincides with similar Vedic calendar-based New Year celebrations (...)"
  6. ^ a b c d Karen Pechilis; Selva J. Raj (2013). South Asian Religions: Tradition and Today. Routledge. pp. 48–49. ISBN 978-0-415-44851-2.
  7. ^ a b c Mangal Shobhajatra on Pahela Baishakh, UNESCO
  8. ^ a b William D. Crump (2014). Encyclopedia of New Year's Holidays Worldwide. McFarland. p. 113114. ISBN 978-0-7864-9545-0., Quote: "Naba Barsha ("New Year"). Hindu New Year festival in West Bengal State, observed on the first day of the month of Vaisakha or Baisakh (corresponds to mid-April). New Year's Day is known as Pahela Baisakh (First of Baisakh)."
  9. ^ Mangal Shobhajatraon Pahela Baishakh
  10. ^ Kapila D. Silva; Amita Sinha (2016). Cultural Landscapes of South Asia: Studies in Heritage Conservation and Management. Taylor & Francis. pp. 159–168. ISBN 978-1-317-36592-1.
  11. ^ Willem van Schendel; Henk Schulte Nordholt (2001). Time Matters: Global and Local Time in Asian Societies. VU University Press. p. 41. ISBN 978-90-5383-745-0.
  12. ^ a b Meghna Guhathakurta; Willem van Schendel (2013). The Bangladesh Reader: History, Culture, Politics. Duke University Press. pp. 17–21. ISBN 978-0-8223-9567-6.
  13. ^ V. Prakash; Olga Martin-Belloso; Larry Keener; et al. (25 November 2015). Regulating Safety of Traditional and Ethnic Foods. Elsevier Science. p. 104. ISBN 978-0-12-800620-7. {{cite book}}: Explicit use of et al. in: |author3= (help)
  14. ^ মঙ্গল শোভাযাত্রা (Non-English source)
  15. ^ "Nobo Borsho and Pahela Baishakh: The Past and the Present". The Daily Star. 14 April 2013.
  16. ^ a b c William D. Crump (2014). Encyclopedia of New Year's Holidays Worldwide. McFarland. pp. 114–115. ISBN 978-0-7864-9545-0.
  17. ^ 'Poila Baisakh' celebrated in West Bengal, Press Trust of India (April 15 2015)
  18. ^ Pahela Baisakh celebrated in Tripura, Bangladesh News (April 15 2014)
  19. ^ a b c Tripura people observed Pahela Baishakh, Financial Express (14 April 2016)
  20. ^ Celebrating New Year all year long!, The Statesman, December 29 2016
  21. ^ Kunal Chakrabarti; Shubhra Chakrabarti (2013). Historical Dictionary of the Bengalis. Scarecrow. pp. 114–115. ISBN 978-0-8108-8024-5.
  22. ^ "Naba Barsha in Bengal". Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  23. ^ http://bhesa.ca/index.php/events/events-bengali-event-heritage
  24. ^ Mangol Shovajatra to be staged in Canada on Pahela Boishakh, Newstoday
  25. ^ "BBC - Religion: Hinduism - Vaisakhi". BBC. Retrieved 22 January 2012.
  26. ^ Crump, William D. (2014), Encyclopedia of New Year's Holidays Worldwide, MacFarland, page 114
  27. ^ Peter Reeves (2014). The Encyclopedia of the Sri Lankan Diaspora. Didier Millet. p. 174. ISBN 978-981-4260-83-1.

External links

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