Eye News Post Desk

‘Love is in the air, intoxicated eyes, who called back! Spring has arrived…’ Yes—today is Poyla Falgun (February 14). The first day of the spring festival and the eleventh month of the Bengali calendar.

Spring means fullness. Spring means the sound of new life. The first day of Phalgun is celebrated in Bangladesh as Poyla Falgun and Vasant Baran Utsav, which was first organized by the Faculty of Fine Arts of Dhaka University in 1991. On the other hand, February 14 is also celebrated as Valentine’s Day in Bangladesh.

Spring brings the message of the arrival of nature, leaving behind the harshness of winter. New leaves grow on the trees. Flower buds appear. Birds sing. And the scent of sweet flowers floats in the air. Butterflies spread their colorful wings to announce the arrival of the king of the season. Spring awakens a touch of life not only in nature but also in the minds of people. So everyone gets into a festive mood to celebrate the first day of spring. They decorate themselves in the colors of spring.

The name Falgun comes from the star Falguni. Around 1500 BC, both the lunar and solar years were followed. Falgun was the month of the full moon. The official celebration of the first Falgun began in the 1950s-1960s. At that time, the people of Bangladesh began to listen to Rabindra Sangeet to distinguish themselves from the culture of Pakistan, as well as observing the first Falgun according to Bengali rules.

Many songs and poems have been written about spring. In the words of poet Subhash Mukherjee, ‘Flowers bloom, and not bloom today is spring’. Baul emperor Shah Abdul Karim’s ‘A popular song about spring is ‘Basant Batashe Sai Go Basant Batashe, Bandhur Bari Fuler Gandh Amar Bari Aase Sai Go, Basant Batashe’. World poet Rabindranath Tagore has written many poems and songs about spring.

Just as the first Falgun or spring is our cultural heritage, the political importance of this month is also immense. The red color of Shimul and Krishnachura in Falgun reminds us of the martyrs of Falgun in 1950. It reminds us of the history of the blood of language martyrs. It was in this month that Rafiq Shafiq Barkat Salam gave his life for the mother tongue, Bengali. The independence of Bangladesh came down the stairs of their blood. Therefore, Falgun is also the month of Bengali treachery.