Pahela Boishakh
Activities
D. Complete the passage with suitable words.
The word Pahela means the first and Boishakh is the month of Bangla calendar. The day is observed not in Bangladesh but in some other parts of the world. It is celebrated in West Bengal, Assam and Tripura. It is also in Australia and the UK. In Australia, the largest for Bangla new year is the Sydney Boishakhi Mela held Sydney Olympic Park. In England, the Bangalees celebrate the day with a street in London. It is the Asian festival in Europe, Bangladesh and West Bengal.
E. Describe your own cultural or religious festival that you celebrate. You can use the following words. You can also use other words relevant to the festival.
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colourful |
special |
traditional |
religious |
dance |
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cultural |
flowers |
food |
songs |
festive |
A lot of festivals are held in Bangladesh around the year.‘Pahela Baishakh’ is the most prominent common festival. It is celebrated on the first day of Bengali New Year. It is a special and distinctive festival to the people of all classes and all religions in Bangladesh. It is a public holiday. People wear traditional clothes and eat hilsha and pantha in the morning of Pahela Boishakh. People also go to Dhaka University area in the morning to join a procession organized by the Fine Arts Students of University of Dhaka. Shopkeepers open fresh account books and offer sweets to their customers and clients. The day’s first programme begins at dawn at Ramna Batamul by Chhayanat, People wear traditional dresses on this day. Besides, media and many socio-cultural organizations draw up different programmes. On this occasion, various types of fairs and exhibitions are held throughout the country – both in villages and towns. Pahela Baishakh brings in along with it – hopes and aspirations to our national life.
F. Make a list of the italicized words and explain their meaning in your own words.
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1. sarees- Generally a 6-yard long cloth that is draped around the waist and over the shoulder. It is traditional Bengali cloth worn by women.
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2. churis- bangles
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3. pajamas- A loose or tight fitted dress similar to pants
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4. Punjabis- A traditional Bengali loose fitting long dress worn by men
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5. Ramna Batamul- Ramna is a park in Dhaka city where there is a big banyan tree. Every 1st Day of the Bengali year is celebrated under the shed of this tree
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6. Chayanaut- A cultural group who perform in the Bengali new year celebration
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7. Esho-he-boishakh, esho, esho- The first line of a song written by Rabindranath Tagore regarding Bengali new year.