Ramna botomool (Dhaka)

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Baisakhi Mela
Sunday, 23 March 2008



Bangla new year procession in the cityCelebrations of Pahela Baisakh started from Emperor Akbar's reign. It was customary to clear up all the year's dues on the last day of Chaitra (the twelfth month of the Bengali calendar). On the following day, or the first day of the new year, landlords would entertain their tenants with sweets. On this occasion fairs used to be organized there.

In due course the occasion became part of domestic and social life, and turned into a day of merriment. New year's festivities are closely linked with rural life in Bengal. Usually on the day everything is thoroughly scrubbed and cleaned. People bathe early in the morning and dress in fine clothes and go to visit relatives, friends and neighbours. Special foods are prepared to entertain guests. Baisakhi Melas are arranged in many parts of the country.

Various agricultural products, traditional. handicrafts, toys, cosmetics as well as various kinds of food and sweets are sold at these fairs. The fairs also provide entertainment, with singers and dancers staging Jatra, Pala gan, Kavigan, Jarigan, Gambhira Gan, Gazir Gan and Alkap Gan. Artistes present folk songs as well as Baul, marfati, Murshidi and Bhatiali songs.



Pahela Baisakh - the first day of Banglad Calender heralded at a musical function arranged at dawn at Ramna ParkThe most colourful New Year's Day festival takes place in Dhaka. Large numbers of people gather early in the morning under the Banyan Tree at Ramna Park where Chhayanat artistes open the day with Tagore's famous song, Eso he Baisakh eso eso (Come O Baisakh, come come . .).

A similar ceremony welcoming the new year is also held at the Institute of Fine Arts, Dhaka University . Students and teachers of the Institute take out a colourful procession and parade round the campus.

Artistes present songs to welcome the New Year. People from all walks of life wear traditional Bengali dress: young women wear white sari with red borders and adorn themselves with bangles, flowers and tips. Men wear white pyjamas and panjabi. Many townspeople start the day with the traditional breakfast of panta bhat (cooked rice soaked with water overnight), green chillies, onion and fried Hilsa fish.

Special programmes are broadcast and telecast on radio and television and special supplements are brought out by the newspapers.



Selling traditional food items at Baisakhi MelaBaisakhi Mela is the mirror of our traditional culture. It is presumed that it was started about 600 years back. The number of about 600 years back. The number of Baisakhi Melas celebrated in different parts of Bangladesh is around 300-350.

Though Baisakhi Melas are organised in a planned way in almost all cities of the country, originally they were very much rural based. Traditional handicrafts, hand-made cakes, special kinds of food stuff, sweets, potteries, bangles, pitchers and cane products are the main exhibits.

The Baisakhi Mela is an ancient form of Bengali folk festival that continues to thrive in the modern age. It continues for three days, one week or even as long as one month.