Poila Boishakh merely a party day for Gen Y

KOLKATA: The young and trendy are celebrating Poila Boishakh in style. Gone are the days when Poila Boishakh was about chaitra sale, halkhata, the mystical panjika, Rabindra Sangeet and the mishti. Bengalis are celebrating, but not Poila Boishakh. Morphed into the bong, the Bengalis are busy greeting the Bong New Year. While “esho he Baisakh esho esho” plays in the background, the Gen Y celebrates in a club with friends over a peg of Scotch whisky.
Poila Boishakh holds no significance for college student Karabi Mitra. “I don’t know what to celebrate. New dress or good food is also not an incentive. We do that all year round. But I will send the customary Shubho Naba Borsho message to my friends and family. This year, though, I will party because Poila Baishak is over the weekend,” she said.
More and more youngsters are giving the tradition a miss and opting for more innovative ways to ring in the Bengali New Year. They prefer to party till the wee hours doing something different that satisfies the jaded urban appetite. And event management companies are quick to cash in on this trend. From plush social gatherings to cushy get-togethers with friends, the Bengali New Year has got a makeover. It’s all about glamour and power-packed parties for the youth brigade.
“Innovation is the name of the game. You need to offer something different. That’s why we decided to organize a party which was similar to a December 31 party. We have planned a live DJ-dhaak jam session,” said Mousumi Banerjee of Gooptu Events.
As Poila Boishakh plans get ready, fine-tuned, cancelled and remade, the gen next surely knows how to party hard . From scintillating international performers to the razzamatazz of deejays exuding euphoria on the dance floor, it’s all about being different. “I will be attending a party at a friend’s place on the last day of the Bengali year. It’s all about free flowing spirits, snacks and foot-tapping music,” said student Rashmi Somani.
Once the uppity Mr Bose of Ballygunge, had sneered “chii” at his neighbour for organizing a terrace party on Poila Boishakh. Today his daughter is planning to go for a hookah party to usher in the Bengali New Year. “I can’t bask in the glory of age old customs. For some, it’s just another day to uphold our Bangaliana. But to me, it’s another reason to spend a bomb on my favourite clothes and accessories. I am not even aware which Bengali year is going to start,” quipped his teenage daughter Megha.