Culture & arts

Pohela Boishakh, the Bengali New Year

On Pohela Boishakh, music, neighbourhood fairs and the opening of fresh account books turn the Bengali New Year into a shared public celebration.

Before the heat settles over Dhaka, people gather for songs at Ramna Batamul. Pohela Boishakh, the first day of the Bengali year, belongs as much to these early hours as to the busy fairs that follow. Cotton clothes rustle in the crowd, and a flute seller's thin notes compete with conversation. In Bangladesh the day is observed on 14 April. The festival brings several customs into public view. Some traders welcome customers to halkhata, the ceremonial opening of a new account book, often offering sweets. At the University of Dhaka, the procession known as Mangal Shobhajatra carries large handmade figures through the streets. Its preparation draws on painting, mask making and collective labour. There is no single correct household version of the day. A family may cook a special meal, visit a fair or simply listen to familiar songs. Beyond the most photographed celebrations, the new year offers a modest invitation: settle an old account, meet a neighbour and begin again.