A Little Piece of Pahela Baishakh in Toronto

An exuberant Pahela Baishakh parade in Chilly Toronto.

It has been more than a decade for me living in North America and unlike other weekends April 14 was a special Sunday! One of the few days that really reminds us of our cultural identity. Just like a flawless long distance call to my loving mother, Pahela Baishakh removes all the static and connects me as a soulful Bengali to my beloved Bangladesh.
It has always been heart-aching to remember the Pahela Baishakh celebrations in Dhaka: pushing through the crowds of Ramna Botomul even at 5:30 am; the faint sounds of music and Tagore songs from Shahbag Chattar lured us towards the main stage.

A cultural programme to celebrate the New Year.

With the growing Bangaldeshi community in North America, the feeling and intensity of Pahela Baishakh these days is no less - particularly in this cold and freezing city of Toronto. Hundreds of Bangladeshis bathe in the sacred joy and spirit of the Bengali New Year.
The temporary ecstasy and energy of the crowd creates warmth in the city even amid a freezing five degrees celsius April morning. The boishakhi celebration has actually become a cultural string that our monochromatic American lives fills with colour. It makes a virtual yet a global connection in the company of red and white and mouth-watering food.

This year, like other years, we came across a vibrant deshi crowd playing dhak, dhol, tambourine and pandeiros. Their rhythmic movements adorned by colourful masks could be seen from a far. A spark of nationalism spurred up instantly. It was hard to hide our smiles or ignore the sudden rush of even looking at them from a distance. As I saw passers-by staring at this extraordinary crowd I felt proud, taking in the colour and tempo of the celebrations. We tried to join the horde but a quick peek of a piece of shorshe Ilish (Hilsa in mustard) dragged us to Ananda- a popular but slightly over-priced Bangla-deshi restaurant. Yet it seemed worth it to celebrate the special day with pomp. Only one piece of Hilsha with plain white rice was 10 Dollars which converts to Tk 800 almost and each bharta would be 2 dollars each, that is Tk160! Our lunch was accompanied by sutki bharta, begun and alu bharta amid many other Bangladeshi food.

Posters to celebrate a cultural identity.

Many cultural programmes were also organised in various Bangladeshi communities including Chayanot-Toronto in different locations. The songs and dances particularly by American-born Bangla-deshis were perhaps sometimes not perfect by deshi standards but the spirit was all there. There were big boishakhi melas as well with stalls filled with saris, fotuas, pithas, and many other ethnic items.
What makes me happier is the fact that this celebration goes beyond religion or politics and is a day when Bangladeshis and Bengalis all over the globe can take part in this simple ritual of music and colour at least for one day. At least for one day we could be free of thought of being a part of a nation that is in so much turmoil. Certainly, there is no identity crisis at the Baishkahi celebrations. If a fete like this can bring us all together around the globe, surely there is hope that our nation can be united with a little bit of tolerance and team work.