History of Boishakhi Mela - Pohela Boishakh 1427

January 25, 2020

The Boishakhi Mela (Bengali)

বৈশাখী মেলা, romanized: Boishakhi Mela, lit. 'Fair of Boishakh') is a Bengali celebration (mela) which takes place outside of Bangladesh. It is celebrated by the Bangladeshi diaspora in the United Kingdom, United States, Canada as well as many other countries with significant Bangladeshi populations.

In London, it takes place across the area of Banglatown in Tower Hamlets. The festival runs through Brick Lane to Weavers Fields and Allen Gardens in Bethnal Green. The event is a celebration of the Bengali New Year, with musical and cultural events held. It is the largest open-air Asian festival in Europe and the largest Bengali festival outside of Bangladesh. After the Notting Hill Carnival, it is the second-largest street festival in the United Kingdom attracting over 80,000 visitors from across the country. Although the Bengali New Year falls on 14/15 April (Pohela Boishakh in the Bengali calendar), the festival is held in the second weekend of May on a Sunday to avoid the period of higher risk of rain during the month of April. Having started in 1997, the 10th anniversary of the mela was celebrated in 2007.

History

The Boishakhi Mela was launched in Banglatown located in London's Tower Hamlets borough - the most populated Bangladeshi area outside of Bangladesh. It is a celebration of the Bengali New Year and has been celebrated by the British Bangladeshi community since 1997. The original event based in Bengal is called Pohela Boishakh. The festival was created for the purpose of the Bangladeshi diaspora living in the UK. It was organised by the local people, and is now managed by the Boishakhi Mela Trust Ltd, a non-profit organisation.

The Boishakhi Mela is a unique festival, which has been created by a generation of Bangladeshi people who want to celebrate the Bengali New Year. It inspires the Bangladeshi diaspora to be more creative during the arrival of the event, through the production and the presentation skills of excellent and innovative ideas through participation in the Boishakhi Mela, including the stage planning, music and dancing. Other than creating the event for the purposes of celebrations for the community, it also aims to gain recognition of fellow Bengalis in the West, by providing Bengali culture, and by encouraging them to participate in the event as well as recognising the Bangladeshi presence in the area. Also providing the people the skills and opportunities for the young aspirations as well as professional artists to perform their music or dances.

Previously Bangla TV was the main broadcaster of the Boishakhi Mela event, however since 2005, Channel S has acquired the rights to broadcast the event due to its commitment to the community (the slogan is working for the community), achieving popular support from the main sponsors within the community.

Procession in London

The event starts first during the morning from 12am at Allen Nurseries, through Block Path and finishes in Weavers Fields. This is known as the Great Motorcade, where there are ladies and kids wearing vivid customary garments and veils. There will likewise be artists or drummers, including artists and furthermore the pioneers from the network. During the 2008 Mela, an incredible sovereign was driving the motorcade symbolizing the customary landowner (zamindar) of the Indian subcontinent, alongside a tiger, an elephant on wheels, rickshaws, and numerous others. Block Path, which is home to numerous Bangladeshi-possessed Indian eateries, serves curry along the boulevards for the guests, with conventional Bengali food suppers, and prepared by unmistakable culinary experts from Bangladesh.

After the procession, it will at long last advancement into the music program where there will be celebrated music craftsmen from Bangladesh and the UK, artists and on-screen characters performing on stages. The four phases will have Bengali music, theater including Sylheti dramatization, and there will likewise be move shows for the duration of the day. The music performed highlights a wide scope of Bengali music, these incorporate customary Bengali or people songs, just as present day, contemporary music, and rap music in Bengali and Sylheti.

2009: Tower Villages board

Since 2009, the administration and arranging of the mela was embraced by the Pinnacle Villages Gathering as long as possible, who called the occasion "a Boishakhi Mela in Banglatown Block Lane". It was hung on 10 May 2009, drawing in up to 95,000 individuals which is a record high of the occasion. There were in excess of 250 younger students, artists, artists and local gatherings which took an interest in the occasion nearby a mechanical Bengali tiger and the Bangla Sovereign, which is a four-meter tall peacock structure. The mela likewise included with almost 200 slows down serving Bengali flavors, nourishment and beverages. It included numerous famous craftsmen from Bangladesh and the UK, for example, Momtaz, Kajol Dewan and Nukul Kumar. Well known among the more youthful age was Mumzy Stranger, who was a main MC and DJ in the East Finish of London. Other visitor vocalists included Lucy Rahman, Kala Miah and others. The stages were facilitated by Adil Beam, Shawkat Hashmi, Kan D Man and some more. The principle supporters of the occasion were BBC Asian System and Channel S.

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