Boishakhi Mela facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Boishakhi Melaবৈশাখী মেলা |
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2009 Boishakhi Mela in Bethnal Green, London
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| Observed by | Bengalis (Bangladeshi diaspora) |
| Type | Social and cultural festival celebrated by the Bengali diaspora. |
| Date | Lua error in Module:Wikidata at line 132: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Related to | Bengali New Year |
The Boishakhi Mela (Bengali: বৈশাখী মেলা, romanized: Boishakhi Mela, lit. 'Fair of Boishakh') is a big Bengali festival. It's like a fair or celebration that happens outside of Bangladesh. People from Bangladesh who live in other countries, like the United Kingdom, United States, and Canada, celebrate it. It's a way for them to share their culture.
In London, this festival takes place in an area called Banglatown in Tower Hamlets. The celebration goes from Brick Lane all the way to Weavers Fields and Allen Gardens in Bethnal Green. It's a special event to celebrate the Bengali New Year. You can find lots of music and cultural shows there.
The Boishakhi Mela is the biggest outdoor Asian festival in Europe! It's also the largest Bengali festival held outside of Bangladesh. After the Notting Hill Carnival, it's the second-largest street festival in the United Kingdom. Over 80,000 people come to enjoy it from all over the country. Even though the Bengali New Year is on April 14th (Pohela Boishakh), the festival is held on a Sunday in the second weekend of May. This is to avoid the rainy weather that April often brings. The festival first started in 1997, and its 10th birthday was celebrated in 2007.
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What is Boishakhi Mela?
The Boishakhi Mela is a special festival that celebrates the Bengali New Year. It was created by Bangladeshi people living outside their home country. They wanted a way to celebrate their culture and traditions. The original New Year event in Bengal is called Pohela Boishakh.
This festival helps the Bangladeshi diaspora (people living away from their home country) feel more creative. They get to plan and put on amazing shows, including music and dancing. The mela also helps people in the West learn about Bengali culture. It encourages everyone to join in the fun. It also gives young artists and professionals a chance to perform their music and dances.
How Did Boishakhi Mela Start?
The Boishakhi Mela began in 1997 in Banglatown, London. This area in Tower Hamlets has the largest Bangladeshi population outside of Bangladesh. The festival was started by local people. Now, a non-profit group called Boishakhi Mela Trust Ltd manages it.
For many years, Bangla TV was the main TV channel showing the Boishakhi Mela. But since 2005, Channel S has been broadcasting the event. They got the rights because they are very involved with the community.
The Grand Parade in London
The Boishakhi Mela celebration starts in the morning around 12 PM. It begins at Allen Gardens, goes through Brick Lane, and finishes in Weavers Fields. This part is called the Grand Parade.
During the parade, you'll see women and children dressed in bright, colourful traditional clothes and masks. There are also musicians, drummers, and dancers. Community leaders often join in too. In 2008, a person dressed as a great emperor led the parade. There was also a tiger, an elephant on wheels, rickshaws, and more!
Brick Lane is famous for its many Bangladeshi-owned Indian restaurants. During the mela, these restaurants serve delicious curry and traditional Bengali cuisine meals right on the streets. Famous chefs from Bangladesh often cook these dishes.
After the parade, the music shows begin. Famous artists from Bangladesh and the UK perform on stages. You can also watch dancers and actors. There are four stages featuring different types of Bengali music and theatre. This includes Sylheti drama and dance shows all day long. The music ranges from traditional Bengali folk songs to modern, contemporary music, and even rap music in Bengali and Sylheti.
Boishakhi Mela in 2009
Since 2009, the Tower Hamlets Council has been in charge of planning and managing the mela. They called the event "a Boishakhi Mela in Banglatown Brick Lane." The 2009 festival was held on May 10th. It attracted a record number of people, about 95,000!
More than 250 school children, dancers, musicians, and community groups took part. There was a mechanical Bengali tiger and a four-metre tall peacock structure called the Bangla Queen. The mela also had almost 200 stalls selling Bengali spices, food, and drinks. Many popular artists from Bangladesh and the UK performed. These included Momtaz, Kajol Dewan, and Nukul Kumar. Young people especially enjoyed Mumzy Stranger, a well-known MC and DJ from East London. Other guest singers were Lucy Rahman, Kala Miah, and Mohammed Uzzal Miah. The stages were hosted by people like Adil Ray and Shawkat Hashmi. The main sponsors for the event were BBC Asian Network and Channel S.
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