In Bangladesh there are as many festivals as there are days in the year. Fairs and festivals play an important role in the social life of ordinary Bangladeshis. The biggest Muslim religious festivals are the Eid-Ul-Fitr, Eid-ul-Azha, Muharram and Miladunnabi (birth day of the Prophet), Widely celebrated festivals for other religious communities are the Durga Puja for the Hindus, Christmas for Christians and Buddha Purnima for the Buddhists. Bangla New Year's Day (Pahela Baishakh), Shahid Dibas (Language Martyrs' Day), Independence Day (March 26) and Victory Day (December 16) are celebrated nation-wide.
Besides these religious and national festivals, villages and townships, professional groups, cultural organizations arrange their own festivals.
Widely Celebrated Festivals
Pahela Baishakh
Bengali New Year's day is colorful event in the cities and villages throughout the country. The day (14 April) is a public holiday. The most attractive event in Dhaka that spreads throughout the day, takes place at Ramna Park. Students of the Fine Art Institute of Dhaka University organize colorful pageant where paper made animals and masks figure prominently. Tournaments, boat races and other forms of celebration take place amidst great jubilation. Many fairs are held in Dhaka and other towns and villages.
Eid-e-Miladunnabi
Prophet Muhammad (SM) was born on 12th Rabiul Awal (Lunar Month). He also breathed his last on the same day. The day is national holiday, the National flag flies from rooftops and food are offered to destitute and the orphans. Prayers are offered in Milad mehfils in the afternoon. At night important public buildings are illuminated.
Independence Day
The biggest state festival, the Independence day (March 26) is observed throughout the country. All major cities wear a festive look. It is a public holiday. The citizens of Dhaka wake up early in the morning to the sound of booming guns heralding the day. Leaders of the government, political and social organizations, freedom fighters and ordinary citizens alike place floral wreaths at the National Martyrs' Memorial at Savar. Bangla Academy, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy and other socio-cultural organizations held cultural function Sports meet and tournaments are organized including the exciting boat race in the river Buriganga. At night the main public buildings are illuminated. Similar functions are arranged in other cities and towns.
21st February, the National Mourning Day and World Mother Language Day
21 February of every year is observed throughout the country in remembrance of the martyrs' of Language Movement of 1952. Blood was shed on this day at the Central Shahid Minar (near Dhaka Medical College Hospital) area to establish Bangla as a state language of Pakistan. All subsequent movements including the struggle for independence owe their origin to the historic language movement. The Shahid Minar (martyrs' monument) is the symbol of the supreme sacrifice for the mother tongue. The day is a public holiday. Mourning services begin in Dhaka at midnight at the Shahid Minar with a song that tellingly recal the sacrifice of the martyrs. The event of the day include processions, song sessions, placing of flowers at the Minar and prayer at the graves of martyrs' at Azimpur. The UNESCO has declared the day International Mother Language Day.
Eid-ul- Fitr
Eid-ul- Fitr (end of the fasting month of Ramadhan), The biggest Muslim festival is observed throughout the world. The Eid falls on the following day of Ramadan or the month of fasting. The day is a public holiday.
Eid-ul-Azha
Eid-ul-Azha is the second biggest festival of the Muslims. It marks the Hajj in Mecca on the 10th of Zilhaj, the lunar month. Large Eid congregations are held in mosques and public prayer grounds. Animals are sacrificed in the memory of Hazrat Ibrahim's (AM) preparedness for the sacrifice of his beloved son to Allah. The day is a public holiday.
Muharram
Muharram is a month of sad memories of the tragic martyrdom of Imam Hussain (RA) at Karbala in Iraq on the 10th day of the month.The day is marked by a huge procession in Dhaka that is brought out from the the Hussaini Dalan Imambara in old city.
Durga Puja
Durga Puja, the biggest festival of the Hindu community in the country, continues for ten days with the last three days being the most joyful. The festivities culminate with the idol of goddess Durga immersed in the river. In Dhaka the big celebrations are held; at Dhakeswari Temple, where a fair is also held and at the Ram Krishna Mission.
Christmas
Christmas, known as "Bara Din" or The Big Day in Bangla is celebrated with festivities in Dhaka and elsewhere in the country. Several day-long congregations are held at St. Mary's Cathedral at Ramna, Portuguese Church at Tejgaon, Church of Bangladesh (Protestant) on Johnson Road and Bangladesh Baptist Sangha at Sadarghat, Dhaka. Functions include illumination of churches, decorating Christmas tree & other festivities.
Rabindra & Nazrul Jayanti
The birth anniversary of the nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore on 25th Baishakh (early May) and that of the national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam on 11th Jaystha (late May) are observed throughout the country. Big gatherings and songs sessions organized by socio-cultural organizations are the main features of the observance of the days. Tagore is the writer of our national anthem while National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam is famous as Rebel Poet for his fiery writings.
Langalbandh Mela
The mela which accompanies the annual bathing at a place near Sonargaon (about 27 km. from Dhaka) is a very attractive festival observed by the Hindu Community every year on the last day of Chaittra (last Bengali month - mid April ). Devotees dip in the river to ceremonially cleans themselves of all sins.
Folk Festivals of Bangladesh
Ambubachi
Ambubachi a special folk festival of the Hindus. It is a three-day ritual observed by women beginning on the seventh day of Asadh. It is believed that during these three days there occurs a union of the sky and the earth and this drenches the earth to make it fit for farming. It is forbidden to dig or plow during this period. Hindu widows observe some restrictions during these days. Special foods and rice cakes are prepared during this festival.
Berabhasan
Berabhasan or Raft Festival is celebrated wherever there are large waterbodies. It is held on the last Thursday of Bhadra in honour of khowaj-khizir (installed in place of the water god Varuna). The community of fakirs arranges it both on social or family initiatives and. During Mughal rule, it used to be observed with great pomp at Murshidabad, Rajmahal and Dhaka at the initiative of nawabs or naib-e-nazims. In patronising it, Mukarram Khan, Nawab Sirajjuddaula and Mir Qasim played prominent roles. It was through their patronage that this folk festival developed into a national festival. In this festival a banana plant is felled at one blow and made into a raft. A variety of sweet offerings are placed on it and then, as people sing, it is pushed into the water to drift away. It is believed that this observance will provide protection against drowing.
Chadak Puja
Chadak Puja an important folk festival of the Hindus. It is held towards the end of Chaitra and the beginning of Baishakh. This is more common in the areas of Faridpur and Barisal, which were Hindu majority areas. Melas or fairs lasting for two or three days are held on this occasion.
Navanna
Navanna a special folk festival. It used to be observed with a lot of fanfare after the new crop came home in the month of Agrahayan. Before sunrise on the day of the festival, children would recite rhymes inviting crows to their houses: ' Ko ko ko, today there is a new rice feast in our house/ come and eat food made of new rice/ crows get a kick/ ravens get bananas/ ko ko ko, our house has a new rice feast today '. On this day new rice is pounded in a dheki, or husking pedal. A hole is dug in the courtyard, into which a live kai fish is put with milk. A bamboo pole is fixed in the hole. Around the pole, called bir bansh, Alpana is drawn with rice paste. At every joint of the bamboo a sheaf of new paddy is tied. Then some rice, a banana and a coconut sweet are offered to a crow. The flight of the crow is closely watched. It is believed that the fortunes of the year depend on the course of its flight. This ceremony is called kakbali . No one takes food before concluding this ceremony and offering puja and food made of new rice to Laksmi, the goddess of crops, and to the crow. On this day every family prepares delicious dishes. People may eat Navanna in another house during the day but they must eat at home at night. Navanna is wound up the next day with basi navanna , which means eating the leftovers. Muslim families also celebrated navanna. They too used to make offerings in the name of Laksmi. They called it nayakhaoya or new food. Navanna continues to be celebrated all over Bangladesh today.
Sagrai
Sagrai a New Year festival of the indigenous tribes. The tribes of the Chittagong Hill Tracts celebrate it with great pomp to bid farewell to the old year and greet the New Year. It is a four-day festival covering three days of the outgoing year and one day of the incoming year. On the first day, men and women of the Marma tribe take the Buddha images in a procession to the riverfront to wash them on a banana raft with sandalwood and water or milk and water and reinstall them at the temple or at home. The last two days of the old year are days of great enjoyment. During this time they celebrate panikhela or playing with water. They throw water on each other to wash away all the ills, miseries and sorrows of the passing year. Then they greet the first day of the New Year with fun and frolic. On this day the Rakhaine play rangpani, when they drench each other with coloured water. The Chakmas celebrates bijhu festival with great fanfare during the last two days of the outgoing year and the first day of the New Year. The first day is for phul bijhu, the second day for mul bijhu and the New Year's Day for gojyai pojya. The Chakmas spend the first two days in merrymaking and abstain from work. Mul bijhu is their core festival. On this day they visit each other's houses and feast. Young girls roam about wearing blue and red lungis woven on their handheld looms. In the afternoon they play games.
Lalon Mela
Every year on the first day of Kartik a festival is held at Cheuria in Kushtia in memory of lalon Shah. Fakirs or devotees of Lalon also join in. A fair is held on the occasion. The followers of Lalon and other folk singers present Lalon songs there.
Wedding Ceremonies
Though weddings are social events, the and rituals associated with them are in the nature of folk festivals. Once a marriage is arranged, close relations' start visiting the homes of both parties to attend a variety of rites. Such ceremonies as aiburobhat, Gaye Halud and adhibas heighten the joy of marriage. In the past a clash of lathiyals or skilled fighters with bamboo staffs was common in some places. The groom could enter the wedding arena only if his men won. At times quiz contests were part of the ceremonies. Even to this day the youngsters of the bride's side hold up the groom at the gate until he parts with some prize money. Wedding songs, describing the rituals or making fun of the other side, add to the merriment. These days, Gaye halud or smearing of the bride and the groom with turmeric paste, is observed as an essential event. Many rituals are associated with fertility.
Folk Dances of Bangladesh
Baul Dance
Baul dance forms part of the religious rites of bauls. Baul songs are spiritual in theme, and while singing these songs, bauls start dancing in ecstasy. They hold an Ektara in their right hand. Some wear ghunur (a string of bells) round their ankles. Usually individuals perform baul dances, but at times they also perform duets or group dances at their Akhda. Though while dancing, bauls shake their heads and locks of hair, or twirl around and move their arms and feet, there are no ritualised gestures. The ektara plays a prominent part in the dance, sometimes being held close to the ears, sometimes high up. This dance is mainly popular in Kushtia and Jessore districts of Bangladesh and Burdwan and Birbhum districts of West Bengal.
Chhau Dance
Chhau dance a kind of masked dance from the Purulia-Bankura region in West Bengal . This is a martial dance with shields, swords and sticks, and is based on the Ramayana and Mahabharata. The characters don different masks and dresses in keeping with their roles of gods, demons or animals. The dancers are generally of strong build. Men wearing women's garments and ornaments also play female roles. Chhau dances used to be held with a great deal of fanfare towards the end of Chaitra or the beginning of Baishakh on the occasion of Shiva puja. Nowadays Chhau dances may be performed regardless of season or occasion. This dance is very popular among the Bagdis and Bhuiyas. In this warlike dance, the dancers jump around, kneel and suddenly rush towards their opponents. Deft movements of the head, neck, hands, upper torso and legs demonstrate different warlike stances. Leg work is very important. Whether performed individually or in a group, the dance is performed in a circular area round which the musicians sit, leaving a narrow passage for the dancers enter and exit. The main musical instruments are the drum and the shehnai. The dance opens with a hymn to Ganesh and then a song of two lines to welcome the arrival of the artistes. Dance and music are more important here than singing.
Chhokra Dance
Chhokra dance (literally, dance by young boys) featuring youths playing the roles of women, accompanies Alkap songs and has been in vogue in West Bengal's Murshidabad and Maldah region for a long time. This dance is performed on a canopied stage in a mango grove or in an open field. It is directed by a sarkar who leads a fairly large team of singers, musicians, and players. A clown also forms part of the troupe. The musicians seat themselves on the sides of the stage and provide the music for the songs and dance. Others stay in the dressing room and wait their cue. Young boys dressed as girls take part in this dances as in the ghatu dance. Some parts of the alkap song and the chhokra dance can be quite vulgar and this is why performances are held late at night, for adult audiences. The story of Radha and Krishna is a popular theme.
Dhali Dance
Dhali dance (literally, shield dance) enacts a duel between two men whose weapons are thickly woven cane shields and bamboo sticks. Drums and brass cymbals provide the musical accompaniment. The main objective of this dance is to display the dancers' physical prowess and martial skills. To start with, the two warriors face each other threateningly, in tune with the music, and then launch their attacks and counterattacks either standing or kneeling. This mock war goes on until a climax is reached. Dhali dance is usually arranged at folk fairs in Jessore and Khulna regions.
Gambhira Dance
This dance accompanies Gambhira songs and used to be quite popular in the Maldah district of undivided Bengal. Though not as popular today as it was in the past, it continues to be performed in Rajshahi. The dance is performed by a pair of artistes, one acting the role of a nana (maternal grandfather) and the other that of his nati (grandson). Through their dancing and singing, they critique contemporary social, political, economic and moral problems. The dialogue is in both prose and verse. There is a chorus, which repeats the refrain of the song. The main musical accompaniments are the Harmonium, flute, drum and judi. The gambhira dance, with its mixture of dialogue, dance, songs and music, resembles a folk play. While the chorus sings the refrain, the nana and nati dance, with the nati wearing a string of bells round his ankles. In Maldah, the artistes wear masks.
Ghatu Dance
This dance accompanies Ghatu songs. It has no religious or social basis, its object being solely to entertain the audience. One or more teenaged boys dressed as girls form its main attraction. The songs are usually based on the story of Radha and Krishna. One person sings while the others dance. Dances are also based on popular love stories. The drum, cymbals, the flute and the Sarinda are the main musical instruments. These days the harmonium is also used. The dance goes on for long hours of the night. At times the dance becomes quite vulgar, which is why ghatu sessions are usually held outside populated localities. Generally Muslims form ghatu groups, as well as the audience for the dance. Among the Kishoribhajan, a Vaishnava sub-sect, teenaged girls sing Bhajans and dance. It is possible that the Kishoribhajan influenced ghatu songs and dances, based on the story of Radha and Krishna. These days' ghatu dances are performed on modern stages at Kishoreganj and Netrokona.
Jari Dance
This dance accompanies jari singing and is usually performed by Shi'ah Muslims. It is organised during Muharram and recounts the mournful death of Imam Hossain at Karbala. About 8-10 youths form a jari dance group. The leader of the group is called ustad and the others dohar. The dancers wear everyday garments but tie red handkerchiefs round their wrists and brows. In some areas they also wear strings of bells round their ankles. The ustad plays the chati and sometimes the dohars play the jharni , made of bamboo, to maintain the rhythm and keep up the beat. In some places the beat is maintained by clapping. The ustad stands in the centre and sings. The dohars move in a circle round him, singing the refrain of the song. The dancers express their grief by the movements of their heads, hands and feet. Jari dance performances start with the sighting of the Muharram moon. Jari groups go around different houses of the village. They are paid cash or given some food for their performances. On Ashura the various dance groups assemble at a place designated as Karbala for a final performance.
Kali Dance
This dance is performed with the dancer wearing a black mask portraying the goddess Kali, with her characteristic protruding blood-red tongue. The dancer holds a falchion in one hand and a human skull in the other. The drum is the main musical instrument for this dance, which conveys both valour and cruelty.
Khemta Dance
Khemta Dance accompanies khemta songs, which are based on the story of Radha and Krishna. Drums and cymbals form the musical instruments. Khemta dances may be performed on any occasion, and, at one time, were popular at weddings and pujas. Basically, this is a women's dance, but in some areas eunuchs are associated with it and it is they who are still keeping this art alive. Khemta dances are characterised by complex foot movements and meaningful expressions of the eyes and the face. This entertaining dance may be called the rural version of the urban dance of baijis or professional women dancers.
Lathi Dance
Lathi dance a stick dance performed during Muharram by groups of youths. Drums and brass cymbals are used to maintain the rhythm and tempo. The youths wear close-fitting garments and also at times tie strings of bells round their ankles. In their hands they carry bamboo sticks about four or five feet long. They also carry swords, daggers and cymbals. The lathi dance is half dance and half sport. With sticks and swords in their hands, the youths demonstrate their valour by way of a mock battle. They dexterously whirl their sticks, moving them to the front or to the sides, then under their legs or over their heads in time to the music. The fierce clashes of the sticks create a battle scene. The drummer plays an important role in this dance, guiding the moves, tempo and rhythm of the dancers. This dance is divided into several sections: an introduction, different warlike stances, the fight, resolution and rest. The tempo is slow initially but picks up and ends on a crescendo. For the first ten days of Muharram, the lathi players demonstrate their art in the courtyards of houses, at cross sections of roads and finally at the mock Karbala ground.
Puppet Dance
It is not known how old the tradition of puppets dances is in Bengal. The first reference to puppets is, however, found in Yusuf - Zulekha, a 15th century epic. There are three forms of puppets in Bengal: rod puppets, string puppets and glove puppets. The puppeteer manipulates string puppets with strings so that the puppets appear to be dancing. As the musicians play their drums, cymbals and flutes, an artist sings a song and makes the puppets dance to reflect the mood of the song. Rod puppets and string puppets are used to present Palagan or narrative plays, usually on the stories of Radha-Krishna and Rama-Sita. Such plays are also composed on contemporary social events. The primary purpose of these plays is didactic. However, they are also highly entertaining. In West Bengal, rod puppets are still popular in the 24 Parganas and string puppets in Nadia.
Glove puppets dance as a male-female pair. Some people of the kahar class in Midnapore and Burdwan of West Bengal earn their living through puppet dances. An artiste holds a puppet in each hand and sings while making the puppets dance. While stories from the Purnas are popular, the focus is on their entertainment value, not their religious significance. In the past, puppet dances used to be arranged at a child's Annaprashana or at weddings. Puppet dances were quite popular in north Bengal, Mymensingh and Comilla, but after Partition this folk art suffered a setback as many Hindu artistes left for West Bengal. These days only a handful of families in Brahmanbaria make a living out of this art.
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