It is early days of the Spring -the king of seasons. But where is the regal inauguration of the most adorable season? No sooner had the Winter departed than the Summer took over. Only in the early morning does the comforting breeze waft like the therapeutic touch but with the sun rising further up, temperature also soars as if the Summer is already there. What is sorely missing is the abundance of green foliage that transforms trees, herbs and shrubs into an undulating sea of verdant expanse.
This year the Winter lingered more than it did over the years. The plant life is yet to recover from the wintry spell. Trees are still busy shedding their leaves, some are totally barren, a few have leaves all but grey with layers of dust collected on them in the absence of rain and still others such as mango trees have buds on all over them still mired by dust.
Nature is yet to adorn itself with lively, luxuriant and ethereal green but the cuckoo, the harbinger of the Spring is already there. It can be heard singing in the trees even in this unwholesome capital. Here is a bird that senses the arrival of the Spring better than any other bird, animal or even man. Where does this inspiring bird retire during the rest of the year? The bird's presence in this season is axiomatic. Many other birds also put on emphatic colours during this time but without cuckoos, the Spring is unimaginable.
Usually, birds sing copiously during breeding seasons. Their feathers and plumes add colours they do not have for the rest of the year. These colourful attributes and songs they sing are displayed and directed to attract and court their partners of the opposite sex. Cuckoos may very well do the same in order to maintain their lineage. People think rather mistakenly that the birds sing in order to pour melodious sweetness into their ears.
Whatever may be the purpose of the bird and its interpretation by man, the fact is both welcome the Spring with open arms. The Spring has been celebrated all over the planet and from ancient time. Because, it acts as a liberator from hibernation. The chill, mist, fog, frost and snow that make the Winter hostile to animals and people cause them troubles in many ways. When the pleasant weather arrives with the Spring, it is time to get invigorated. The restrictions are gone and both animals and humans feel a surge of spirit within. With the season's arrival, there happens a renewal of what is called elan vital. It is a reawakening of living organisms and Nature together.
Salubriously for the Bangalees, the time for holding a month-long book fair has perfectly coincided with the Spring. Also, the Spring festival is observed by some cultural organisations. But in no way is the observance of the Spring festival comparable with the celebration of books through the Ekushey Book Fair in the capital and elsewhere. The Ekushey February was an occasion for paying homage to the language martyrs. It evokes the memory of a tragic event where the Bangalees proved their love for their language and their courage to lay down their lives for the cause. But here is a great example of how mourning can be transformed into an indomitable spirit -one that rises up to the level of celebration of an undying flame in the bosom of the people.
The ethos is so overpowering that the Spring festival could not match it. But there is no harm advancing the Spring festival as a cultural form in a complementary manner. The Bangalees celebrate the Pahela Baishakh tastefully helped by their aesthetic senses and they can do equal justice to the Spring festival by making it agreeable to the masses.
