From charaibhati and bonbhojon to picnic

This is the time for picnics. Well, is picnic an urban edition of bonbhojon or charaibhati/charuibhati? Bonbhojon has in the very word its explicit meaning. Bonebhojon means a sumptuous dish in forest or wilderness. What about charaibhati? Charai is sparrow and bhati has two meanings in Bangla ---glow or blaze is one and the other is construction or creation. Then what does this beautiful combination of words actually denote? Such a small bird's glow takes us nowhere; maybe, it is the discovery of the uncommon out of the ordinary and addition of something novel that is the underlying meaning.
Charaibhati is more a childhood affair than its mature edition. In fact, tiny tots used to arrange such a feast ---both facsimile and real --- following their mothers' kitchen work. Most likely, children in the days of yore copied the cooking and serving of food with tits and bits none of which were consumable first as part of their outdoor play in a rural setting and gradually their imitation was converted into real thing. Then, with help from their elders the little ones started preparing real food on a makeshift oven for eating together in an idyllic setting.
It appears human beings who now settled in a place to give rise to a village still felt a yearning for the forest or cave life. There is a belief that what began as charaibhati subsequently turned out to be bonbhojon for the grown-up boys. By this time, though, the agrarian civilisation has advanced quite a lot but still life was slow-paced, simple and rustic. Bonbhojon became rather ritualistic in rural areas at some point. Usually it was arranged on the full moon night of Poush or Magh ---the two months on Bangla Calendar, which retain the right to host the Winter.
It appears that the choice of winter for arranging bonbhojon was made on pragmatic consideration. It is the time when there is no chance of raining. Vegetables are aplenty and above everything else, the gastronomical delights are more acceptable to stomach than at any time of the year. It was a blessed and fabulous time once in villages. Bonbhojon was a real treat not only because the dishes were special but because of the way the items were collected. Apart from milk and spices, other ingredients were stolen---yes stolen. It was known to the entire village that the youths who had constructed makeshift thatched huts away from the village would collect most of their vegetables, fish and even chicken or ducks from wherever they could do. No offence meant! After all, it was a tradition. The earlier generations did it, so did their next generation.
But time has changed. In today's reality, such joy stealth is no longer approved. Young groups, clubs and other associations in villages also arrange picnics like their urban peers at daytime instead of at night. Picnic may have originated from bonbhojon but today the former is imitating the latter. Not only young ones but at times whole families participate in such parties because roads in villages are quite good and transports including catering service and other paraphernalia like music system are also available.

If the transformation of charaibhati into bonbhojon was nominal, the latter's transformation has been beyond imagination in the rural areas. Has not picnic in cities and towns followed suit? Perhaps not as phenomenally as bonbhojon. The whole concept of stealing is gone, so has the timing. Instead of the full moon night, a day ---usually a weekly holiday convenient to the participants is selected for the dinner-time feast.
However, among the affluent section of society in the capital city, a new trend is developing fast. They rent out holiday resorts which are coming up in an increasing number with mind-boggling facilities. The resorts take responsibility of mouth-watering dishes, of course, at fabulous costs. It is simple partying and such get-togethers disapprove anything rustic because sophistication is maintained at best as possible.
Charaibhati and Bonbhojon do exist in the nostalgic mental journeys of the senior citizens who spaced their lives both in villages and towns or cities. Once they are no more, those simple but unique joyous events will get lost once for all.