Festivals of colours meet at a confluence

Nilratan Halder | Published: February 17, 2023 21:14:24

The Valentine's Day and the Pahela Falgun or the first day of the Spring come together as a double delight. One is a Christian festival originating from the martyrdom of Saint Valentine in the third century. But there are several stories of martyrdom of the same name of Saint Valentine and therefore, according to one of them, it is known as Saint Valentine's Day and according to another it is called Feast of Saint Valentine that had got currency by the 8th century. But not before the 14th and 15th centuries did the occasion come to be associated with romantic love. However England of the 18th century has the credit to lay the foundation of today's trend of expressing love between couples by presenting flowers, offering confectionery and sending greeting cards. Today, the occasion's Christian character has given way to a secular celebration in most parts of the world, including in Bangladesh. Now it is as much cultural as commercial.
Celebration of Pahela Falgun is a recent phenomenon that came into being rather unwittingly courtesy of a group of girls of the Dhaka University's Faculty of Fine Arts. The girls printed blocks on saris the previous night to wear them on Pahela Falgun in 1991 to welcome the Spring. Their male counterparts of the faculty then joined them to bring out a procession with flowers, butterflies and birds made out of colourful papers to commemorate the victory of the movement against Ershad's autocracy a year ago. Thus did the Pahela Falgun take its root in the urban space. But in some villages, girls were used to wearing yellow saris with garlands and flower headbands for long. Yet it must be admitted that celebration of Pahela Falgun never took an organised shape.
Before it, though, Rabindranath who pioneered quite a few celebrations at Shantiniketan, introduced Basanta Utsob (Spring festival) there. His pioneering spirit gave this celebration an aesthetically most pleasing ambience. On the eve of the festival, the poet composed songs for the occasion giving it a newer dimension every year. Of the many songs that render the occasion colour and beauty, one is: "Rangiey diey jao jao/ jaogo ebar jabar agey..."
Few can transcend the extraordinary out of the ordinary as did Rabindranath. It is because of his creative genius that he could immortalise the occasions that celebrate Nature. Today, mostly his songs become so relevant for our celebration of Pahela Baishakh, Sarodotsab (celebration of Autumn) and Pahela Falgun.
Many of those who enthuse over Valentine's Day in this part of the world are not quite aware of what it really is. No harm in it as long as they genuinely feel for their soulmates and offer them flowers as a mark of their love and faithfulness. Even imitation of something can surpass the original. After all, the very occasion has different versions of its origin and the folk tradition has to go through various editions with time. In the same way Pahela Falgun and Basontotsob are transforming with the passage of time.
The most relishing aspect is that both these festivals meet at a confluence over the centuries. Remarkably, both are festivals of colours where flowers take the pre-eminence. Where there are flowers, there are colours galore. Not surprisingly, Godkhali, the flower growing hub in Jashore alone reportedly sold flowers to the tune of Tk 300 million in the week preceding the Pahela Falgun and Valentine's Day. Then there are other areas that grow flowers commercially.
At a time when life is becoming robotic for some and full of struggles for others, celebrations of heart and soul is most essential because the core of human existence also needs soft touches for its recuperation and maintenance of humane quality. Life for the low income people is too hard now to be in any mood of festivity. At a time they have their back against the wall because of economic penury, such festivals are nothing but a mockery to them.
The greatest challenge is to turn such festivals inclusive for all. Unless cultural enlightenment and sophistication are attainable for all segments of people, a nation cannot grow in head and soul. Today's socio-economic system is arcane in as much as it favours the privileged leaving the underprivileged out of a decent living parameter. This has to change in order to make such occasions everyone's festivals.