The festival-loving people of the country have been celebrating Pahela Falgun, the first day of Spring in the Bengali month of Falgun, with colourful attire, flower and songs.

Falgun is the eleventh month in the Bengali calendar and the first month of the season, Spring. Warm sunshine, blooming flowers and chirping birds make Spring the king of all the six seasons in Bangladesh.

The tradition of celebrating the Pahela Falgun in Bangladesh started in the Bengali calendar year 1401. Since then, the Jatiya Bawshonto Utsab Udyapan Parishad has been celebrating Pahela Falgun regularly with jovial cultural festivity at the Bakultala of Charukola (Dhaka University Faculty of Fine Art) in the morning.

Pahela Falgun festivities began in Charukala Bakultala with the organisation’s event at 7am. It also hosted similar festivities in the afternoon on the open stage at Uttara Rabindra Sarani and Bahadur Shah Park in the capital.

Different organisations including the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) and many other organisations, institutions and businesses are celebrating this year’s festive February 14 with multiple programmes.

BSA greeted the day with a special dance recital titled ‘Bawshanto Nrittyo’ in the capital’s Ramna Park at 3:30 pm with 225 dance artistes. A festive procession headed to the BSA premises after that, and the cultural event at the open premises of the academy featured musical performances, recitations, dance recitals and choreography of Spring-themed Bengali fashion.

Bd-pratidin English/Lutful Hoque