Bangladesh
A scene from Manasa Mangal part of the Mangal-Kavya.
Mangal-Kāvya (মঙ্গলকাব্য, “Poems of Benediction”), a group of Hindu narrative poetry, composed more or less between 13th Century and 18th Century, eulogise the indigenous deities of rural Bengal in the social scenario of the Middle Ages. Manasā Mangal, Chandī Mangal and Dharma Mangal, the three major genus of Mangal-Kāvya tradition include the portrayal of the magnitude of Manasā, Chandī and Dharmathakur, who are considered the greatest among all the native divinities in Bengal, respectively.
Bengali New Year or Pohela Boishakh occurs on 14th April, the first day of the Bengali calendar. In Bengali , Pohela stands for ‘first’ and Boishakh is the first month in the Bengali calendar. It is celebrated in both Bangladesh and West Bengal, and in Bengali communities in Assam ,Tripura and Orissa and all over India as well as Bengali communities around the world. Pohela Boishakh connects all ethnic Bengalis around the world irrespective of religious and regional differences.
The Bengali calendar is closely tied with the Hindu Vedic solar calendar, based on the Surya Siddhanta. King Shoshangko of ancient Bengal, who ruled approximately between 590 CE and 625 CE, is credited with starting the Bengali era. The starting point of the Bengali era is estimated to be on Monday, 12 April 594 in the Julian Calendar and Monday, 14 April 594 in the proleptic Gregorian calendar.
Under the Mughals, Emperor Akbar ordered a reform of the calendar to streamline tax collection. Accordingly, the Bengali year was formulated based on Hijri lunar and Hindu solar calendars. The new year was introduced and dated, which also coincided Emperor Akbar’s antecedence to the Mughal throne.
Celebrations of Pohela Boishakh started from Akbar’s reign. It was customary to clear up all dues on the last day of the year . On the next day, or the first day of the new year, landlords would entertain their tenants with sweets. On this occasion there used to be fairs and other festivities. In due course the occasion became part of domestic and social life, and turned into a day of merriment.
Pohela Boishakh is really about celebrating the simpler, rural roots of the Bengal. As a result, more people can participate in the festivities together without the burden of having to reveal one’s class, religion, or financial capacity.
- Pohela Boishakh
Religion in Bangladesh
The main religion in Bangladesh is Islam, but a significant percentage of the population adheres to Hinduism. Bangladesh has the fourth largest Muslim population after Indonesia, Pakistan, and India, with over 135 million. The majority of Muslims are Sunni. Many people in Bangladesh practice Sufism, as historically Islam was brought to the region by Sufi saints. Other religious groups include mostly Theravada Buddhists, Roman Catholics, and Animists. The religious communities in Bangladesh tend to be accomodating to other faiths and beliefs and Bangladesh is known for its lack of communal strife.
