Pahela Falgun: The Advent of Spring

Pahela Falgun (পহেলা ফাল্গুন) is the first day of Falgun, the eleventh month of the Bengali calendar. It is also the first day of spring, which is known as the king of all seasons. According to the Gregorian calendar, Pahela Falgun is usually celebrated on February 13. To welcome the spring in Bangladesh and other states of India, including West Bengal, Assam, Tripura, Jharkhand and Odisha, this day is celebrated with a special festival. This festival is known as ‘Basanta Utsav’ (Spring Festival). To welcome this day, National Spring Festival Celebration Council (Jatiya Bashanta Utshab Udjapon Parishad) in Bangladesh organizes ‘National Spring Festival’ (Jatiya Bashanta Utshab) every year at Bakultola of Fine Arts faculty under Dhaka University and on the open stage of Rabindra Sarobar in Dhanmondi. Basanta Utsav is also celebrated on this day in Shantiniketan of West Bengal. 

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Basanta Utsav is being celebrated from ancient time in the Bengal region. Mentions of this festival are found in an episode of Hindu mythology and folklores. Hindu Vaishnavas organizes various events on this day.

Since the time of the world poet Rabindranath Tagore, ‘Basanta Utsav’ has been observing at Shantiniketan in West Bengal. With song and dance, people welcome the spring. In the Bengali year 1401, the ritual of celebrating ‘Basanta Utsav’ was first started in Bangladesh by students of the faculty of Fine Arts under Dhaka University. Since then the National Spring Festival Celebration Council has been organizing this festival regularly. Now, people from across the country observe this day with joy, and for this reason, it has become a major cultural celebration.

On this day, girls wear Bashonti (yellow or orange) colored dress, especially saree, and decorate themselves with floral ornaments- floral crown on head, garland on head bun, floral bracelet on hands- while boys wear colorful Panjabi. Their colorful exterior beautifies the entire city, including Amar Ekushey Book Fair, Teacher-Student Centre (TSC), Fine Arts Faculty premises, Curzon Hall, University Mall (Mall Chattar) and parks.

On this day at 7 am, the invocation of spring starts with the cadence of the instrumental music at Bakultola of Fine Arts faculty under Dhaka University and it continues till 12 pm. From 4 pm to 8 pm, the spring praise festival takes place at the same place. Besides, spring invitation festival holds simultaneously from 4 pm till 8 pm at three other spots in Dhaka city- Bahadur Shah Park (Old Dhaka), Rabindra Sarobar (Dhanmondi) and Rabindra Sarani (Uttara 3). At this festival, children, teenagers and tribal people perform various cultural activities, such as song and dance. This festival also features choral song, solo song, solo poem recitation, folk song, speaking about spring and exchange of abir (kind of perfumed red powder) and love.