Celebrations of Bangaliana

The season of celebration is back again. Bangalees all around the globe usher in the Bangla New Year, and media personalities are not immune to the spirit of festivities. Our media personalities are not immune to the spirit of festivities and at Pahela Baishakh they reaffirm their Bengali identity. Embracing the Bangaliana within, stars join the celebrations with others. Several media personalities shared their Pahela Baishak plans with The Daily Star.

Zahid Hasan
Pahela Baishakh is a very special day for me. I have a lot of fun with my family on the day. Ilish and Panta bhat are most certainly on the menu. We also enjoy a wide assortment of sweets. Every Pahela Baishakh, it feels like the whole nation is awake for celebrations. It is one of those days when people of all religion celebrate a single occasion. I fondly remember the childhood days of celebrating Pahela Baishakh, when I'd sometimes be unable to sleep the night before; such was the excitement. Buying novelty items at the fairs was also another key attraction. I'd often buy flutes.

Mahfuz Ahmed
I will spend this Pahela Baishakh in Australia, along with my wife and daughter. Although we are going there on vacation, we plan to welcome the New Year through celebrations with the expatriates. We will dress up in traditional outfits and enjoy Bangalee food. Pahela Baishakh celebrations take me back to my childhood days. I used to live in a village, where Baishkahi mela was a mandatory feature of the day. I used to visit the fair with my family and roam around with my friends. Putul Naach (puppet show) was one attraction at the fairs that I never missed.

Purnima
I stay busy with my work throughout the year; but on this day, I turn into a complete Bangalee. I spend Pahela Baishakh with my family. Panta-Ilish and bhorta is a tradition at my house, and this year won't be any different. The best part about this special day is how it inspires all to usher in the New Year with goodwill. I also recollect the fun I had riding the Nagordola (Ferris wheel) during my childhood Pahela Baishakh days.

Ferdous
Pahela Baishakh doesn't belong to any individual; it's a day for all Bangalees. This is the best aspect of the day. I try to keep my shooting schedule free on the day. It feels good to spend the first day of the year with my family, and this year will be the same.

I become nostalgic about my childhood Pahela Baishakh days, which were all spent in Dhaka. I fondly remember going to the Ramna Batamul celebrations.

Salahuddin Lavlu
Pahela Baishakh makes me nostalgic. I used to take money from my mother and run to the mela on this day. It was a day of great fun. I still remember the excitement of buying new kites and pen-knives, for cutting mangoes. I will stay in Dhaka this year on Pahela Baishakh, and celebrate the day in traditional Bangalee style.

Kona
Pahela Baishakh is a very important day to me. All Bangalees -- rich and poor, young and old -- join in their own way to mark the day with festivities. I plan on spending some time with my family on the day. But I will also have to allot the rest of the day for music, as there are many stage shows on the day. I will welcome the New Year with the audience. Looking back at earlier Pahela Baishakh celebrations, I used to wheedle my parents when I wanted to buy something from the fair, and eventually succeeded in my persuasive skills.

Chanchal Chowdhury
I was born and brought up in Pabna. The Pahela Baishakh mela at our village drew people from several nearby villages, and I always had a long wish-list of items to buy. I liked to buy flutes, which I enjoyed playing. Circuses, palagaan and putul naach were all a regular part of the fair. I remember that I once got very scared while watching the circus performances. Although the schedules are tight, I make some time on this day to enjoy special dishes with my close ones over a good adda. I also like to go out in the afternoon or in the evening to enjoy the occasion.

Bindu
I feel that nothing else can be compared with Pahela Baishakh. The day has been entwined with our culture for hundreds of years. There is no place in Bangladesh where people don't celebrate the day with enthusiasm. People from all religion and classes join in the festivities and have fun together. Like every year, my mother will cook special Bangalee cuisine at home, for which I will be assisting her. I hope the day brings in betterment for everyone.