It’s a tradition to usher Baishakh on a sweet note, and so, sweetmeat once again takes centre stage in our celebrations. From that van vendor at the corner of any local bazaar or park where children crowd for sugary treats, to branded and popular sweetmeat shops — all are busy making their special offers.
Mostafa Taher, 50, is a computer programmer with a sweet tooth, and every Baishakh he buys sweetmeat for his friends and family.
“This has been a tradition of our household for decades,” said Taher. “Rather than going for sweets from renowned shops, I buy goodies like kodma, murki, and goja from street vendors. The gift serves as a reminder of our childhood, and for me, it’s the perfect Baishakhi gift.”
Halkhata, or opening of new accounts by traders, which is an integral part of Baishakhi revelries, is almost unthinkable without sweets. Jewellers and traders observe the occasion with a grand spread of mawa laddu, coconut sweet balls, luchi and niramish.
Keeping the seasonal demand in mind, the chain stores that throughout the year specialise in traditional Bangladeshi sweetmeats also carry pitha and naru in their menu. Corporate gift boxes with local Baishakhi delights are now ubiquitous with Pahela Baishakh celebrations, and popular shops in Dhaka are providing various options.
Syed Ashraful Islam, senior manager at Premium Sweets, Gulshan, said, “Customers or corporate clients can choose from our assortment and order. We have a Baishakhi box starting from Tk 2,000, but people prefer to customise their orders according to their budget.”
Despite offers from city’s sweet-shops, Dhakaiites still crave regional culinary delights like roshmalai from Cumilla or buffalo milk curd from Bhola. Any chance people get to travel, they take the trouble of stopping at village bazaars for their unadulterated fresh sweetmeats. Dhakaiites often do not mind travelling a distance to buy fresh sweets.
One such small village sweetmeat store is a 10-minute detour on the way to Mawa Ghat; you take the left to Lohaganj, Halda Bazar, and inside a quiet green hamlet is a tin shaft store called Shree Durga Mistanna Bhandar. Ganesh Gosh, the store owner said that for Baishakh they will have a special menu because he has orders from Dhaka.
A quintessential Baishakhi meal of ilish paturi or shorshe shojne chorchori must be wrapped up with a sweet. We Bangalees have a sweet tooth; a meal without something sugary is always half done. So, this Baishakh, indulge a little and count your calories tomorrow!
Shubho Noboborsho!