Branding Bangladesh in Tourism

Pahela boishakh, the first day of Bangla month, projects the tradition of Bangalees in a way that proclaims the cultural distinctiveness of this nation. It’s a day when the general Bangalees start the New Year with a new dream of prosperity and success forgetting the sorrows of the past year, which gives them the encourage to put their thoughts of tradition in a unique and dynamic way.

Background

Bangladesh is an agricultural country, though its number of population engaged in agriculture is decreasing day by which is eventually replaced by industrialization. Almost 60-70 percent of people are engaged with this sector either directly or indirectly. During the reign of Mughals, the agricultural tax would be taken according to the Hijri calendar which would not coincide with the agricultural season of the peasant. As a result, the farmers were insisted to give the tax in an inconvenient time. The Mughal emperor Akbar was the one who took the initiative to reform the calendar which introduced the Bangla calendar submerging the lunar Hijri and Bangla solar calendars. The new calendar was formally introduced on March 1584. Eventually, the calendar became to known as Bangabda (Bangla Year).

The theme of celebrating Pahela Boishakh emerged from the tax giving day under the reign of Akbar. On the last day of Chaitra (last month of Bangla Year), the people would clear all the due taxes. On the next day, first day of the New Year, the landlords would greet the people with sweets and organize fair to celebrate the day. Eventually, this day became a part and parcel in the traditional life of the Bangalees and turned to a national festival.

In villages, a financial affair named Halkhata was the main event of the day, where traders would close their old accounts and start a new account. This ritual is still followed by some of the traders in the country. On this day people would wake up early in the morning and clean their houses, then wearing good clothe they would go to the houses of their relatives and neighbors where they would be entertained by various types of delicious foods. In the fair, people could buy handicrafts, sweets, toys, different kinds of utensils and stationeries and would also enjoy different types of music programs and drama which included Jatra, Jari Gaan (‘Gaan’ means ‘song’), Murshidi Gaan, Gajir Gaan, Kabi Gaan, Pala Gaan, Bhatiali Gaan etc. All these types of songs are based on the rural life which is termed s folk songs which narrate religious affairs, love, and peasantry and so on. For example, in Jatra, various historical incidents are staged; Pala Gaan is a kind of narrative folk ballad which narrates gods and religious things, Jari Gaan is based on Muharram (a religious incident in the history of Muslim where Imam Hossain, grandson of the prophet Hazrat Muhammad [pbuh] and other members of his family gave life for Islam).

How the day is observed

Pahela Boishakh puts vivacious colors on the face of the Bangalees. They observe the day in a festive mood. Though some of the old rituals of Pahela Boishakh are not in practice now, Bangalees observe the day in their own cultural way. In Dhaka, people gets up early in the morning and gathers at Ramna Batomul where singers of Sayanot welcomes the first of the Bangla Year by singing the song ‘Esho he boishakh, esho, esho…(come Boishakh come)’ of Rabindra Nath Tagore on stage. People eat Panta Bhaat (soaked rice) with Hilsha fish and chilly which is a traditional Bangalee food. A colorful rally comes out from the Fine Arts faculty of Dhaka University where thousands of people take part. Musical programs, Jatra etc are staged at different places of the country.

The woman wear white Sari with red border, tips on forehead, colorful churis (kind of bracelet) on both hand and the man wear white Panjabi with pajamas usually on this day. The buildings are illuminated the city is put on colorful dresses with festoons, balloons, etc. Boishakhi fair is organized all over the country. The people ride on Nagordola (merry-go-round), enjoy different type of traditional pitha (kind of cake), and hover around different places.

Many of the old festivals have disappeared now days. The cock fight, bull fight, wrestling, boat racing etc can hardly be seen to be observed now. But, Pahela Boishakh has become a national festival in the life of the Bangalee when they at least try to practice their traditional rituals in a festive mood which certainly keep our generations linked with their root.