বাংলা 
English 
Greetings of Falgun to everyone. Even Fakir Lalon Shah Sai went mad in this Phagun breeze. It is learnt that while he was alive, on the full moon of the Falgun month he used to make music and sing all night long. After Fakir Lalon Shah Sai departed, the poet guru Robi Thakur set foot in Kushtia. He too could not hold steady in Falgun's intoxicating breeze. Sitting at the Shilaidaha Kuthibari on the bank of the Padma in Kushtia, he wrote countless poems, songs and novels. Our beloved poet Azizur Rahman also wrote poetry about this Phagun.
The month of Falgun creates a different kind of atmosphere in Kushtia. The fragrance of Falgun spreads across greater Kushtia. Given the slightest chance, the heart yearns to rush to Falgun's enchantment. In Kushtia, Falgun's enchantment lies on the banks of the Garai and Padma rivers. Every year countless of us gather at these places from morning until evening. Since the poet guru Robi Thakur's house lies close to the bank of the Padma, the Falgun-mad people gather at the Shilaidaha Kuthibari. The bustling atmosphere turns into the festivity of the Falgun fair.
The people of greater Kushtia are lovers of culture; there is no doubt about it. On this day many come to the bank of the Garai river with their families and their mothers and fathers. Many take boat rides, and we stroll barefoot on the char (sandbar) of the Kewa river; the rows of kash flowers along the river catch everyone's eye. The gentle, tender breeze awakens all kinds of pulses within the soul. On Kushtia's palash and shimul trees, the colour of exuberance spreads.
Falgun is called the king of seasons. Spring's presence in the life of the Bengalis dates back to time immemorial. Spring spreads its colour of exuberance not only over the ashok, palash and shimul; it also spreads colour over the memory of the blossoming, blood-red blood of the martyrs of our historic State Language Movement. In the palash-red day of the Eighth of Falgun of '52, or of Ekushey, the daring exuberance of youth and the tide of unbridled emotion seem fused into one.
The first of Falgun, or Pohela Falgun, is the first day of Falgun, the eleventh month of the Bengali calendar, and the first day of spring. According to the Gregorian calendar, Pohela Falgun is celebrated on 13 February. To welcome spring, the day is celebrated with special festivities in Bangladesh and in India's West Bengal, Assam, Tripura, Jharkhand and Odisha, along with other states. In Bangladesh, the National Spring Festival Celebration Council arranges the National Spring Festival every year to welcome the day at Charukola's Bakultala and at the open stage of Rabindra Sarobar in Dhanmondi.
In this region of Bengal, the spring festival has been observed since ancient times. References to this festival can be found in the mythological tales and folklore of the Hindus. Hindu Vaishnavas observe it with considerable ceremony.
Since the time of world poet Rabindranath Tagore, the tradition of celebrating the spring festival with special song and dance has continued at Santiniketan. From Bengali year 1401, the tradition of celebrating the first 'Spring Festival' in Bangladesh was introduced. Since then the National Spring Festival Celebration Council has been organising the spring festival regularly.
In various villages of Kushtia, rural fairs begin centring on this Falgun month. The fairs offer all kinds of rural food, clothing, furniture and delightful toys for children. Centring on this Falgun full moon, the Dol Purnima festival and a week-long rural fair begin at Fakir Lalon Shah Sai's akhra homestead. Hundreds of thousands of people rush from home and abroad to take part in this fair. With the full moon overhead, the songs of self-realisation go on all night long. What a wonderful ambience it is.
