Topic Name:

FESTIVALS IN BANGLADESH
• Festival:
• A festival is an event ordinarily celebrated by a community and centering on
some characteristic aspect of that community and its religion or cultures. It is
often marked as a local or national holiday, mela, or eid. Next to religion and
folklore, a significant origin is agricultural. Food is such a vital resource that
many festivals are associated with harvest time. Religious commemoration and
thanksgiving for good harvests are blended in events that take place in autumn,
such as Halloween in the northern hemisphere and Easter in the southern.
Festivals often serve to fulfill specific communal purposes, especially in regard
to commemoration or thanking to the gods and goddesses. Celebrations offer a
sense of belonging for religious, social, or geographical groups, contributing to
group cohesiveness. They may also provide entertainment, which was
particularly important to local communities before the advent of mass-
produced entertainment. Festivals that focus on cultural or ethnic topics also
seek to inform community members of their traditions; the involvement of
elders sharing stories and experience provides a means for unity among
families.
• There are numerous types of festivals in Bangladesh:

• Religious observance:

Buddhist Christian
Muslim: Hindu:
: :
Eid ul-Fitr Durga Puja Buddha Purnima
Christmas
Krishna
Eid ul-Adha
Janmashtami
Madhu Purnima
Shab-e-Baraat Rathayatra
Easter Sunday[
Shab-e-Qadr Saraswati Puja Kathin Chibardan
 On the 1st day of Shawwal
month of the lunar Islamic
calendar. The morning of Eid
begins with men and woman
taking a bath, wear the newest
clothes and head for Eid Prayer
then people exchange hugs and
head home where a large
banquet of food would be
prepared.
On the 10th day of Dhu al-
Hijjah month of the Islamic
calendar. Devotees offer the
Eid al-Adha prayers at the
mosque. The Eid al-Adha
prayer is performed any time
after the sun completely rises
up to just before the entering
of Zuhr time.
It is regarded as a night when
the fortunes of individuals for
the coming year are decided
and when Allah may forgive
sinners.
On this night the blessings and
mercy of God are abundant,
sins are forgiven, supplications
are accepted, and that the
annual decree is revealed to the
angels who also descend to
earth, especially the angel
Gabriel, referred to as "the
Spirit", to perform every and
any errand decreed by God.
 Durga Puja is widely
celebrated by Bangladesh's
minority Hindu community.
Some Bengali Muslims also
take part in the pujo .In Dhaka,
the Dhakeshwari Temple and
mandaps attract numerous
visitors and devotees, and on
Vijaya Dashami, the
immersion processions head to
Sadarghat (Dhaka's river port),
where the idols are immersed.
Janmashtami is a national
holiday in Bangladesh. On
Janmashtami, a procession
starts from Dhakeshwari
Temple in Dhaka, the National
Temple of Bangladesh, and
then proceeds through the
streets of Old Dhaka.
Dhamrai Jagannath Rath is a
chariot temple, a Roth,
dedicated to the Hindu God
Jagannath located in Dhamrai,
Bangladesh. The annual
Jagannath Roth Jatra is a
famous Hindu festival
attracting thousands of people.
The Roth Jatra in Dhamrai is
one of the most important
events for the Hindu
community of Bangladesh.
The puja is celebrated every
year on the fifth day of the
‘bright fortnight’ in the Bangla
month of Magh. SaraswatiPuja
– the worshipping of the
goddess of knowledge,
wisdom and culture and one of
the main religious festival of
the Hindu community – is
being celebrated across the
country.
 In Bangladesh, the event is calledBuddho
Purnima. On the day of proceeding Purnima
Buddhist monks and priests decorate temple in
colourful decorations and candles. On the day
of the festival the President and Prime
Minister deliver speeches about the history
and importance of Buddhism and religious
harmony in the country. From noon onwards
large fairs are held in and around temples and
viharas selling bangles, food , clothes, toys
and conducting performances of Buddha's life,
Buddhist music teaching about the Dharma.
Modhu Purnima is celebrated as a joyous day
of unity and charity. All Buddhists observe it
by bringing gifts of honey and fruit to shrines
or monasteries.
Kathina is a Buddhist festival which comes at
the end of Vassa, the three-month rainy season
retreat for Theravada Buddhists in
Bangladesh , Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Sri
Lanka, India and Thailand. The season during
which a monastery may hold Kathina is one
month long, beginning after the full moon of
the eleventh month in the Lunar calendar.
 Christians in Bangladesh give gifts and cards to each other.
Christmas is national holiday in Bangladesh. People greet
each other with "Shubho Boro Din". In rural areas Banana
trees and leaves are used for decoration. Special events are
held in Hotels and Christmas specials are shown on TV. Tribal
celebrations are a little different from Bengali Christmas
celebrations. Traditional foods include cakes, pitha, paesh,
shemai, and sandwich. Christians visit churches and make
Christmas cakes. Churches are decorated with small paper
triangles called Nishan. Church choirs perform Bengali
Christmas songs. Christmas feasts are called Preeti Bhoj and
hymns are called Kirtan.
The first Christians, Jewish and Gentile, were certainly aware
of the Hebrew calendar. Jewish Christians, the first to
celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, timed the observance in
relation to Passover.
Direct evidence for a more fully formed Christian festival of
Pascha begins to appear in the mid-2nd century. Perhaps the
earliest extant primary source referring to Easter is a mid-2nd-
century Paschal homily attributed to Melito of Sardis, which
characterizes the celebration as a well-established one.
Evidence for another kind of annually recurring Christian
festival, those commemorating the martyrs, began to appear at
about the same time as the above homily.
PATRIOTIC AND NATIONAL OBSERVANCES FESTIVAL:

Language Genocide
Independence
Movement Remembranc
Day
Day e Day

Martyred
Armed
Intellectuals Victory Day
Forces Day
Day
Language Movement Day:
Language Movement Day, also called State Language Day or Language Martyrs' Day , is a national
holiday of Bangladesh commemorating Bengali language movement and the martyrs of the
movement on 21 February every year. On this day, people visit Shaheed Minars to pay their homage
to the movement's martyrs and arrange seminars discussing and promoting Bengali language as the
state language of Bangladesh.
Genocide Remembrance Day:
Bangladesh Genocide Memorial Day is a national day observed on 25 March in Bangladesh to
commemorate the victims of the Bengali genocide of 1971, approved unanimously in 2017.
Independence Day:
The Independence Day of Bangladesh, taking place on 26 March, is a national holiday. It
commemorates the country's declaration of independence from Pakistan in the late hours
of 25 March 1971 by the undisputed leader of the Nation Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Martyred Intellectuals Day:
Martyred Intellectuals Day is observed on 14 December in Bangladesh to commemorate those
intellectuals who were killed by Pakistani forces and their collaborators during the 1971 Liberation War,
particularly on 25 March and 14 December 1971. The killings were undertaken with the goal of
annihilating the intellectual class of what was then East Pakistan. Two days after the events of 14
December, on 16 December, Bangladesh became independent through the surrender of Pakistani forces.
Victory Day:
Victory day is a national holiday in Bangladesh celebrated on December 16 to commemorate the victory of the
allied forces over the Pakistani forces in the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971. The Commanding officer of
the Pakistani Forces General AAK Niazi surrendered with his forces to the Indian army, which marked the end
of the 9 month-long Bangladesh Liberation War and 1971 Bangladesh genocide and official secession of East
Pakistan into Bangladesh.
Armed Forces Day:
Armed Forces Dayis observed in Bangladesh on 21 November. This signifies the day in 1971, when
the members of Army, Navy and Air force of the Bangladesh liberation war forces were fully
operational and launched a coordinated offensive against the Pakistani Army. On 16 December 1971,
the Pakistani Army of 93,000 surrendered to the allied forces of Bangladesh and India ending the
Liberation War of Bangladesh.
Cultural festivals:

General
Music: Folk: Others:
:
Pahela Baishakh Dhaka Art Summit
Rokeya Day
Dhaka World Music
Festival
Basanta Utsab Dhaka Lit Fest

Rabindra Jayanti
Chobi Mela
Nabanna International
Photography Festival
Bengal Classical Music
Festival
Nazrul Jayanti Dhaka International
Barsha Mangal
Film Festival
Rokeya Day:
Begum Rokeya Day is the 9 December anniversary of the birth and death of Begum Rokeya, a Bengali writer, educationist, social activist,
and advocate of women's rights. The day is organized and celebrated by schools, colleges and universities of Bangladesh, as well as the
Bengali Government, as a tribute to her works and legacy. On that day, Bangladesh government confers Begum Rokeya Padak on
individual women for their exceptional achievement.
Rabindra Jayanti:
Rabindra Jayanti is an annually celebrated cultural festival, prevalent among Bengalis around the world, in the remembrance of
Rabindranath Tagore's birthday anniversary. It is celebrated in early May, on the 25th day of the Bengali month of Boishakh , since Tagore
was born on this day of the year 1268 of the Bengali calendar. Every year, numerous cultural programmes & events, such as :
Kabipranam – the songs ,poetries, dances and dramas, written and composed by Tagore, are organised in this particular day, by various
schools, colleges & universities of Bengal, and also celebrated by different groups abroad, as a tribute to Tagore and his works.
Nazrul Jayanti:
Nazrul Jayanti is the birthday of Kazi Nazrul Islam the national poet of Bangladesh on 24 May. The day is organized and
celebrated by various schools, colleges & universities of Bengal, and also celebrated by Bengalis around the world, as a
tribute to Nazrul and his works.120th birthday 2019.
 Dhaka World Music Festival:
The Dhaka World Music Festival also referred to as Dhaka World Music Fest is an international music festival
held in Dhaka, Bangladesh featuring national and international music stars of different genres. The festival
covers an extensive scope of performances from local folk and traditional music genres to world fusion and
contemporary world music across the globe. The festival is perceived to be a cardinal platform in Bangladesh
to witness the true fusion in the form of world music.
 Bengal Classical Music Festival:
The Bengal-ITC SRA Classical Music Festival is a major South Asian classical music festival held in Dhaka,
the capital of Bangladesh. It is one of the world's largest music festivals devoted to South Asian classical
music and draws leading musicians from Bangladesh and India.
Pahela Baishakh:
In Bengali, the word Pahelameans ‘first’ and Baishakh is the first month of the Bengali
calendarBengali New Year is referred to in Bengali as Nabobarsho.
Basanta Utsab:
Pahela Falgun, also known as the first day of Spring of the Bengali month Falgun, is a
holiday celebrated in Bangladesh. The celebration was started in 1991 by students of
Dhaka University's Faculty of Fine Arts.
Nabanna:
Nabanna is a Bengali harvest celebration usually celebrated with food and dance and
music in Bangladesh and in the Indian states of West Bengal, Tripura and Assam's Barak
Valley. It is a festival of food; many local preparations of Bengali cuisine like pithe are
cooked.
Barsha Mangal:
Barsha Utsab also known an Barsha Mangal Utsab is a day-long Monsoon salutation
festival celebrated in Bangladesh. The festival date is set according to the lunisolar Bengali
calendar as the first day of its third month Asharh, usually falls on 15 June of the Gregorian
Calendar.
Dhaka Art Summit:
Dhaka Art Summit is an art summit held in Dhaka, Bangladesh and is organised by Samdani Art Foundation, a
non- profit art infrastructure development organisation founded by Nadia Samdani and Rajeeb Samdani in 2011.
The summit displays artworks such as paintings, photography, sculptures, installations, digital art, video art, etc.
Dhaka Lit Fest:
Dhaka Lit Fest (also known as Dhaka Literary Festival or DLF) is an annual literary festival held in Dhaka,
Bangladesh. Since 2012, it has been held every November in the grounds of Bangla Academy with sessions held
over three days, primarily in English and Bengali.
Chobi Mela International Photography Festival:
Chobi Mela is a biennial international festival of photography held in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It is the largest festival
of photography held in Asia. Chobi Mela X will take place in February 2019. The key organisers are Drik Picture
Library and Pathshala (The South Asian Institute of Photography).
Dhaka International Film Festival:
Dhaka International Film Festival (DIFF) is a biennial film festival held in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Established in 1992,
the festival was initially organized on annual basis, but became a biennial event since 1995. DIFF is one of the
most prestigious film events in Bangladesh, dedicated to introduce the mainstream global cinema to the local
film makers as well as to promote healthy cine culture within Bangladesh.
Fairs:

Dhaka
Ekushey Book
International
Fair
Trade Fair
Ekushey Book Fair:
The Ekushey Book Fair or Amar Ekushe Grantha Melāpopularly known as Ekushey Boi Mela is the national book fair of
Bangladesh. It is arranged each year by Bangla Academy and takes place for the whole month of February in Dhaka. This event is
dedicated to the martyrs who died on 21 February 1952 in a demonstration calling for the establishment of Bengali as one of the
state languages of former East Pakistan.
Dhaka International Trade Fair:
Dhaka International Trade Fair (DITF)is an international trade fair in Bangladesh. It is organized by the
Export Promotion Bureau together with the Ministry of Commerceof the Government of
Bangladesh.DITF is held from the first week of January to the first week of February every year. The
entrance fee is less than US$1 and it is open from 10 am to 10 pm everyday.Ever since the first fair
was inaugurated on 1 December 1995, DITF has been held annually at Sher-E-Bangla Nagar in Dhaka
on the west side of Bangabandhu International Conference Centre.
LOCAL EVENTS:
Jatiya
Shakrain Pitha
Utsab
Nouka
Baich
Shakrain:
Shakrain Festival is an annual celebration in Dhaka, Bangladesh, observed with the flying of kites. It
occurs at the end of Poush, the ninth month of the Bengali calendar. This day is known as Poush
Sangkranti. Shakrain Festival in one of the oldest annual festivals of Bangladesh. It's famous and a very
important event in Bangladeshi culture. It is the symbol of unity and friendship in Bangladesh.
Jatiya Pitha Utsab:
National Pitha (Cake) Festival.
Nouka Baich:
Nouka Baich is a traditional rowing sport of Bangladesh. The sport uses traditional Bangladeshi boats known as Nouka.
Boats for Nouka Baich are long. Each team in a Nouka Baich competition consists of 25 to 100 members. Boats with
motor engines are not allowed.[1] In the 2000s, the British Bangladeshi community in Oxford have also started to
arrange Nouka Baich events in the United Kingdom. Bangladesh Rowing Federation, established in 1974 is the authority
of all Nouka Baich or Rowing activities in Bangladesh. It has till date organised National Rowing Championships a record
40 times.
 END
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