Ushering in Bashanta

Dhaka will wear a festive look today on the first day of Bangla month Falgun, to usher in Bashanta (Spring), the 'king of the seasons'. Jatiya Bashanta Utshab Udjapon Parishad 1424 has organised cultural programmes across the capital.

The first phase of celebrations will begin at 7am at Bakultala of Faculty of Fine Arts (FFA), Dhaka University, the hub of the celebrations. The programmes will begin with a recital of Raga Basant Bahar on guitar by Dipan Sarkar. The programme, which will have its second part at Bakultala, at 3:30pm, will feature solo songs by noted artistes Fahim Hossain Chowdhury, Salma Akbar, Sajed Akbar, Laisa Ahmed Lisa, Bulbul Islam, Kanan Bala Sarkar; choral songs by Sangeet Bhaban,  Surotirtho, Satyen Sen Shilpi Goshthi, Nazrul Shilpi Sangstha, Bohnishikha; dance presentations by Nritya Nandan, Spandan, Nataraj, Bhabna, Dhriti and poetry recitation by Hasan Imam, Bhaswar Bandopadhyay, Naila Tarannum Chowdhury Kakoli and many others. The event will also feature a special presentation of Garo culture by the Garo cultural academy

Along with Bakultala, elaborate cultural programmes will also be held from 3:30pm at three other venues across Dhaka - Dhanmondi's Rabindra Sarobar, Bahadur Shah Park in Old Dhaka, and Uttara Sector 3 Rabindra Sarani field, and will feature a wide range of music, dance and recitation performances.

Girls in Bashonti (yellow-ochre) saris will adorn themselves with floral ornaments and boys will wear colourful Punjabi to see and be seen at the major events.

Jatiya Boshonto Utshab Udjapon Parishad has been celebrating the arrival of Spring since the Bangla year 1401 (1995) in Dhaka, although Bangalees have traditionally celebrated the first day of Spring for centuries. Today, Pahela Falgun programmes have spread throughout the country and have become a major cultural celebration.