Monday, April 20, 2009

Pohela Boishak @ TDP

Pahela Baishakh is first day of the Bangla year. Pahela Baishakh is celebrated in a festive manner. In Bangladesh Pahela Baishakh is a national holiday. Pahela Baisakh falls on April 14. Under the Mughals, agricultural taxes were collected according to the Hijri calendar. However, as the Hijri calendar is a lunar calendar, the agricultural year does not coincide with the fiscal. As a result, farmers were hard-pressed to pay taxes out of season. In order to streamline tax collection, the Mughal Emperor Akbar ordered a reform of the calendar. Accordingly, Fatehullah Shirazi, a renowned scholar and astronomer, formulated the Bangla year on the basis of the lunar Hijri and Bangla solar calendars. The new Fasli San (agricultural year) was introduced on 10/11 March 1584, but was dated from Akbar's ascension to the throne in 1556. The New Year subsequently became known as Bangabda or Bengali year.

The Dhaka Project as an intention to pass on this history to its children arranged a cultural program. All the children participated in the program and did traditional acts. They in the process realized how rich our culture is. Our approach is not only to provide these children with academic education but in the process we will teach them the cultural value as well.

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