Feature: Bangladesh to celebrate Bengali New Year 1420 on April 14
~~By Syed Zainul Abedin, Naim-Ul-Karim
~~By Syed Zainul Abedin, Naim-Ul-Karim
DHAKA, April 12 (Xinhua) -- Residents of this capital city from all
walks of life are busy preparing to celebrate the Bengali New Year of
1420, which falls on April 14.
Celebration of the Bengali New Year begins with the sunrise when people wearing new dresses would gather in the main venues around the Dhaka University.
The entire Bangladesh gets into a festive mood as it celebrates the New Year, hoping that the new year would bring peace and prosperity to the South Asian nation of about 153 million people.
Tens of thousands of
people wearing masks and traditional dresses, mostly students of
colleges and universities, are expected to join the colorful
procession-- Mangal Shobha Jatra -- to welcome the new year with good
spirits.
During the procession, students from the Dhaka University usually carry large symbolic figures of owl,tortoise, tiger and elephant all made of bamboo.
Some students of the Fine Arts Institute of the university were assigned to make artifacts featuring rickshaws, ox, dragon, crocodiles, flying birds, warriors on elephant's back, horses and tigers chasing evil spirits.
Shammi Akter Sumi, a parade coordinator, said this year's procession is the 25th that they have coordinated to welcome Bengali New Year.
Fostering peace and amity among the people in the community is the theme in this year's New Year celebration.
Sunni said that the procession would be joined by other residents aside from students.
According to Sunni, to raise funds for the procession,students sell clay frogs, elephants, horses and dolls and also from the sale of art-works, clay pots, masks, show pieces, paintings and watercolors.
"We make various types of colorful masks. We make owl, tiger, horse, and elephant and so on. And we start our day with the procession," Pran Roy, another artist, said.
According to the organizers, hundreds of artists will put their hands together on New Year's eve to paint the walls and the streets in front of the institute with birds,elephants, horses and other animals.
In Bangladesh, Pohela Boishakh, or the first day of the New Year, is a national holiday.
Moguhal Emperor Akbar introduced the Bangla calendar year and the celebration of Pahela Baishakh,marking the advent of Bengali New Year, which is now considered as an integral part of the Bengali's cultural heritage and tradition and a day of merriment.
The Mughal Dynasty ruled most of the Indian subcontinent for three centuries (1526-1707).
Celebration of the Bengali New Year begins with the sunrise when people wearing new dresses would gather in the main venues around the Dhaka University.
The entire Bangladesh gets into a festive mood as it celebrates the New Year, hoping that the new year would bring peace and prosperity to the South Asian nation of about 153 million people.
During the procession, students from the Dhaka University usually carry large symbolic figures of owl,tortoise, tiger and elephant all made of bamboo.
Some students of the Fine Arts Institute of the university were assigned to make artifacts featuring rickshaws, ox, dragon, crocodiles, flying birds, warriors on elephant's back, horses and tigers chasing evil spirits.
Shammi Akter Sumi, a parade coordinator, said this year's procession is the 25th that they have coordinated to welcome Bengali New Year.
Fostering peace and amity among the people in the community is the theme in this year's New Year celebration.
Sunni said that the procession would be joined by other residents aside from students.
According to Sunni, to raise funds for the procession,students sell clay frogs, elephants, horses and dolls and also from the sale of art-works, clay pots, masks, show pieces, paintings and watercolors.
"We make various types of colorful masks. We make owl, tiger, horse, and elephant and so on. And we start our day with the procession," Pran Roy, another artist, said.
According to the organizers, hundreds of artists will put their hands together on New Year's eve to paint the walls and the streets in front of the institute with birds,elephants, horses and other animals.
In Bangladesh, Pohela Boishakh, or the first day of the New Year, is a national holiday.
Moguhal Emperor Akbar introduced the Bangla calendar year and the celebration of Pahela Baishakh,marking the advent of Bengali New Year, which is now considered as an integral part of the Bengali's cultural heritage and tradition and a day of merriment.
The Mughal Dynasty ruled most of the Indian subcontinent for three centuries (1526-1707).
Courtesy: Xinhua
