Pahela Baishakh, 1416

Esho he baishakh esho esho...

14th April, 2009 marked “Pahela Baishakh”, 1416 in the Bengali calendar. This day was celebrated grandly by Bangladeshi students and families living in Beijing. A host of students organized for more than fifty Bangladeshis to get together at the Beijing Language and Culture University (BLCU) to welcome the New Year. The evening began at 6:30 pm when everyone gathered at a beautiful park inside BLCU, surrounded by Magnolia trees and lovely Chinese architecture; the colors from the Chinese spring along with those of the beautiful traditional “sarees”, “salwar kameezes”, “panjabis” and “kurtas" gave a warm atmosphere to the event despite the cool spring breeze.

After a few words of inspiration from the organizers and guests the ladies gave the evening a melodious start by singing “Esho he baishakh esho esho…” The singing mixed with the aroma of warm and delicious “Khichuri” and other traditional dishes made it seem as though the event was taking place not in China but in Bangladesh.

After a wonderful dinner, some were in the “adda” mood, so they formed a semicircle in the middle of the park and started singing their favorite Bengali songs, while others got together to catch up and share stories with one another. During the “adda” session various talents among the group emerged, most notably there were Chinese nationals with deep appreciation of Bangladeshi people and culture who gave everyone a display of their appreciation through their participation in singing and dancing. Later during the course of the fun-filled evening other foreign friends joined in the adda while a number of spectators gathered around to watch with great amusement.

The evening went on till the late hours as everyone was reluctant to part from their close friends and colleagues and get back to their daily lives. Such spontaneously planned and informal meetings with country mates are sometimes the only occasions those living away from their homelands can look forward to amidst their busy daily routines, it is indeed a blessing to have such gatherings filled with love, laughter and joy.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank the organizers on behalf of the Bangladeshi community in Beijing who have asked to remain anonymous- Thank You! Here’s wishing everyone a happy and prosperous New Year, Happy New Year-“Shuvo Noboborsho!!”