City Desk : dhakamirror.com
Poush Sangkranti, also known as Shakrain, was celebrated in Old Dhaka on Saturday evening.Kite flying, partying, and cuisine marked the Bengali month Poush’s end. Laser light shows, fireworks, and lanterns illuminated winter twilight.
Shakrain is Old Dhaka’s traditional celebration. The streets of Sutrapur, Kaltabazar, Shakharibazar, Lalbagh, Faridabad, Tatibazar, Laxmibazar, Narinda, and Gendaria were busy all day. From morning, excited kids flew kites.
Kites of many colors, forms, and designs were flown on rooftops.Some brought loudspeakers to play music and challenged neighbors on rooftops to a kite fight.
Crowds were gathered in front of shops selling kites. Plastic strings seemed to be more popular among kite flyers.
“Earlier, we used powdered glass to sharpen strings… But the process is labourious and time consuming. That’s why people prefer plastic strings over cotton,” said Mohammad Hafiz, a businessman at Dholaikhal.
Rakidullah, a private university student, said they have been celebrating Shakrain since their childhood. Their relatives from different parts of the city visit their house on this day to celebrate the festival along with them. “An open invitation is given to all of our relatives and friends. My mother prepares sweets for guests on the day,” he said.
According to the solar calendar, on the last day of the Bengali month – “Poush”, the sun moves towards its southward (Dakshinayana) journey at the Tropic of Capricorn and starts moving towards the Tropic of Cancer.
The day is known as “Poush Sangkranti”, also “Makar Sangkranti” all over the world. The day is celebrated by the Hindu community in India, Nepal and Bangladesh in many cultural variations, in various names, like — Maghe Sangkranti (Nepal), Saakrat (Delhi and Haryana), Uttarayan (Gujarat), Maghi (Punjab) and many more.
Different kinds of rice cakes, desserts and confections are made for the occasion.
