''Shakrain Festival'' ( bn, সাকরাইন; also known as Kite festival and ''Ghuri Utsob'') is an annual celebration in
Dhaka
Dhaka ( or ; bn, ঢাকা, Ḍhākā, ), formerly known as Dacca, is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh, as well as the world's largest Bengali-speaking city. It is the eighth largest and sixth most densely populated city ...
,
Bangladesh
Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million pe ...
, observed with the flying of
kite
A kite is a tethered heavier than air flight, heavier-than-air or lighter-than-air craft with wing surfaces that react against the air to create Lift (force), lift and Drag (physics), drag forces. A kite consists of wings, tethers and anchors. ...
s.
[
]
It occurs at the end of
Poush
Poush ( bn, পৌষ; ne, पौष) is the 9th month of both the Bengali calendar and the Nepali calendar. It overlaps December and January of the Gregorian calendar. It is the first month of the winter season. This month marks the start of Win ...
, the ninth month of the
Bengali calendar
The Bengali Calendar or Bangla Calendar ( bn, বঙ্গাব্দ , , Baṅgābda), colloquially ( bn, বাংলা সন, Baṅgla Śon), is a solar calendar used in the Bengal region of the Indian subcontinent. A revised version of ...
(January 14 or 15 in
Gregorian calendar
The Gregorian calendar is the calendar used in most parts of the world. It was introduced in October 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII as a modification of, and replacement for, the Julian calendar. The principal change was to space leap years di ...
).
[ This day is known as ''Poush Sangkranti'' ( bn, পৌষ সংক্রান্তি; ''End of Poush'').]
Events
''Shakrain'' is celebrated mostly around the southern part of Dhaka city.[
]
As part of the celebration, colourful kites are flown high from the rooftops around the area in the afternoon.[
]
It often takes the form of kite fighting, in which participants try to snag each other's kites or cut other kites down.[
When night falls, ]fireworks
Fireworks are a class of low explosive pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. They are most commonly used in fireworks displays (also called a fireworks show or pyrotechnics), combining a large number of devices ...
light up the sky of old Dhaka
Old Dhaka ( bn, পুরান ঢাকা, Puran Dhaka) is a term used to refer to the historic old city of Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. It was founded in 1608 as Jahangirabad or Jahangirnagar ( bn, জাহাঙ্গীরনগ� ...
. Flame-eaters also gather on the roofs to entertain people with their skills of manipulating fire.[
Music awakens the whole town, while people keep dancing from their hearts.
Bringing thousands of people together to compete and have fun, it is an occasion and a day every youngsters wait eagerly for.
]
Gallery
File:Shakrain Festival 2020.jpg, Firework during the festival
File:Shakrain Festival, 2015 ll সাকরাইন উৎসব, ২০১৫.jpg, Firework during the festival
File:Kite festival at Shakrain.JPG
File:Untitled Panoramauuup2.jpg
File:SHAKRAIN-2015-PAN-002 FL.jpg
File:Shakrain Kite Flyer.JPG
File:Fireworks at Shakrain Festival.jpg
File:Fireworks at Shakrain.jpg
See also
*Makar Sankranti
Makar(a) Sankranti (), also referred to as Uttarayana, Maghi, or simply Sankranti, is a Hindu observance and a festival. Usually falling on the date of January 14 annually, this occasion marks the transition of the Sun from the zodiac of Sa ...
* International Kite Festival in Gujarat – Uttarayan
*Lohri
''Lohri'' is a popular winter Punjabi folk festival celebrated primarily in Northern India. The significance and legends about the Lohri festival are many and these link the festival to the Punjab region. It is believed by many that the festiva ...
References
Old Dhaka
Festivals of Bangladeshi culture
Kite festivals
Cultural festivals in Bangladesh
Spring festivals
Festivals in Dhaka
Sports festivals in Asia
{{Bangladesh-stub