Asif Al Mahmood

Perhaps the only celebration that calls Bengalis to connect the past and present and greet the New Year with thrilling rhythms of renewal, vivid colors, and fresh hope is Pahela Baishakh. To celebrate the Bangla New Year 1432, the traditional Bengali spirit of celebration and fun is revived. People of all races and religions are ready to celebrate the nation biggest secular celebration on April 14, 2025.People want to get over the sadness of the previous year and get ready to start the new year with new energy every Baishakh, the first month of the Bangla calendar. A whole new whirlwind of festivals and festivities is brought about by Baishakh.This nation has a long-standing heritage of Bangla Noboborsho. The people of this country have preserved their traditions through the Pahela Baishakh festivities. Pahela Baishakh is traditionally associated with the taste of panta-ilish, ektara, dhak-dhol, and shankhadhwani, as well as the daylong funfair dressed traditionally. The celebration has nothing to do with any one religion. The non-communal or secular nature of our society is  beckoned by Baishakh. Everyone is having a good time.Although the idea of a new beginning is the same throughout Bangladesh, Baishakh is celebrated differently in the highland districts of Chittagong. Chhayanaut Borshoboron and Charukola (Dhaka University Arts Faculty) Mongol Shobhajatra, a distinctive celebration of
the Bangla New Year, are very different from Boisabi, as it is known here in the peaceful green hills. The UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee officially designated the Mongol Shobhajatra as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Boisabi is a special time for cultural coexistence and tolerance amid variety in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT). The Chakma, Marma, and Tripura are the three main indigenous groups that celebrate the New Year in diverse ways and with various festivities. The Tripuran festival Boisuk, the Marma Sangrain and the Chakma Biju are the
sources of the term Boisabi.

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Boisabi is home to long-standing religious and cultural customs, including colorful
processions, traditional sports like bolikhela (wrestling), children's painting contests, and
cultural festivals. People of all ages participate in festivities while wearing traditional
indigenous clothing, giving the event a variety of hues.
On the penultimate morning of the previous year, the Chakmas begin the three-day
Biju Utsab with "Phool Biju," in which young girls float flowers in bodies of water in an
attempt to obtain supernatural graces. They prepare a wide variety of treats and serve them to
the locals on "Mul Biju," the last day of the year. The festivities are enhanced by their
"Pachan," a mixed vegetable curry, and traditional pithas, which are served with "Chuani," a
rice liquor made locally.
"Gojjya Pojjya Din," the first day of the New Year, is a time to make a fresh start and
offer prayers to Lord Buddha for peace and prosperity throughout the year. Families welcome
visitors regardless of their religion or nationality.
The Marmas welcome the New Year by celebrating the Sangrain celebration. They
prepare traditional meals, clean and decorate their homes, and engage in rituals in the lead-up
to the festivities. The water festival is their main event. Participants in the festival, primarily
young boys and girls, splash each other with water. To participate in Sangrain, the Marmas,
Bengalis, and visitors congregate at various locations.
One of the unpleasant features of the month of Baishakh is the intense heat.
Nevertheless, each year, crowds of people swarm the streets to welcome the celebration.
Bengalis' genuine affection for their cultural heritage and traditions is seen in this. Indigenous
populations in CHT, however, celebrate Boisabi in different ways.
Indigenous groups play in the water. There are many similarities between the
Rakhaines' Jolkeli and the Marmas' water celebrations. Both groups celebrate the Sangrain
festival, which marks the beginning of the New Year, and are devotees of Lord Buddha.
Additionally, there is a linguistic resemblance between the two native populations, both of
which have roots in Arakan, Myanmar. The Rakhaines in Cox's Bazar, the Chakmas in
Rangamati, and the Marmas in Bandarban are the three major indigenous groups.

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Sangrain is celebrated with a multi-day water festival. The Puraton Rajar Math in Bandarban has an annual water festival that attracts local communities, Bengalis, and visitors.According to the ancient idea, the New Year might bring a fresh start by washing away the gloom and the unpleasant memories of the past. In groups, young boys and girls stand face to face and spray each other with water. The indigenous people water festival is attended by members of the government, the general public, tourists, and ordinary citizens.They visit the pagoda, bathe the sculptures of Lord Buddha in sandalwood water, and reaffirm their devotion to Ashtasheel (the eight commandments) and Panchasheel (the five precepts). Monks at the pagodas serve as a reminder of the dharma, or proper way of life.
As they travel calmly to the designated location for Punyosnan (holy bath), the Marmas sing Sangrain melodies. In unison, all participants in the march sing Marma songs. From Puratan Rajar Math, the Marmas in the Bandarban district parade in a colorful procession to the banks of the Shankha River, where they conduct religious rites that involve the bathing of Buddha. One such celebration is also organized by the Marmas of Rangamati at the district;s Kaptai Lake. Even strangers are greeted with blasts of water by the friendly Mormons. After that, there is a cultural presentation with folk and indigenous songs performed by local artists. On the grounds of the Harbang-Burmese Government Primary School in Chokoria,CoxBazar, the Rakhines enjoy their customary water festival. The Rakhaines reside on
Coxs Bazar;s plains, in contrast to the Marmas. One can visit the isolated Rakhaine Palli of
Harbang-Mogbazar in the district to gain the most insight into the Rakhaines culture, 
traditional way of life, and celebrations. The residents of this well-known palace are
incredibly friendly, well-educated, and sophisticated. To commemorate the water festival, all Rakhines congregate at the location, particularly the younger boys and girls. They splash and spray everyone with water while
they dance, sway, and sing along to their traditional tunes. The joyful throng is engrossed in
pleasure and merriment as local musicians perform.

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Similar to the Marmas, the Rakhaines seek Lord Buddha blessings for a revitalizing
start to the New Year by washing away the sins and decay of the past. The largest and most
thrilling event in the Sangrain of the two settlements is the water festival. Its a chance to
meet new people and become friends. Everyone is committed to making a fresh start.
Other indigenous communities in the CHT, such as Tripura, Tangchangya, Bom, Mro,
Khumi, Khiyang, and Chak, commemorate the event in their own ways in addition to the
Chakmas and Marmas festivals.
Baishakh offers new opportunities, new hope, and a renewed sense of urgency to
move forward. Additionally, Boisabi, a festival that celebrates peace in multiplicity, unites
people in the hilly hills.

The writer is a freelance writer .