Sourav “Teddy” Biswas
Most of us enjoy 4 seasons every year. Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall/Autumn are the names we’re all familiar with. Interestingly, these four seasons do not extend to every place on Earth. Because of the equatorial location of the Tropics; that zone only experiences two seasons: wet and dry. Areas near the Indian Ocean, meanwhile, generally experience three seasons: Winter, Summer, and Monsoon. Countries like Bangladesh divide these seasons into a total of 6 seasons. They are Summer (Grisma, in Bengali), Monsoon (Barsa), Autumn (Sharat), Late Autumn (Hemanta), Winter (Shit), and Spring (Basanta).
The Bengali calendar starts with the Summer season. This occurs from the equivalent of mid-April to mid-June, when the weather is hot and dry with an
the occasional violent storm. During this time, most of the water bodies dry up. Summer is also the peak time for brick industry. Bricks are used for building, and are a substitute for stone and gravel in Bangladesh.
Then comes Monsoon or Barsa, which is between June and August. During this time, 70% of the land is underwater; water from rivers, the sea, rain, tidal waves, floods, and the melting snow (from) the Himalayas. The rains are a welcomed relief from the baking sun. Due to flooding, food is reduced to pre-cooked rice, pulses and jackfruit that ripen at that time.
September begins, and the water starts to subside and cool winds start to blow. This is the arrival of Autumn, which stays till October. The land gets covered with bright green rice shoot, and the smell of drying jute invades the air. During Autumn, the days are typically humid, while nights are rather cool.
After the land has emerged from the watery mess, it’s time to enrich it with new, fertile soil. Now comes the season of late Autumn/ Hemanta. During this time, people engage themselves in various festivals and merriment. The land and its people come to life during Hemanta when flowers like jasmine, water lily, magnolia, and hibiscus blooms. By this season the air is no longer humid.
From mid-November to early-January, comes the winter season. Due to her position fairly close to the equator, Bangladesh never enjoys snowfall. The air gets dry during this time, and there remains no trace of water logged land. People enjoy the cool weather by engaging themselves in various outdoor games which, otherwise are not played throughout the year.
This season is immediately followed by Spring, which last till February’s end. This is the most cherished part of the year. The days are golden bright, trees come alive with leaves and flowers, and the night brings a chilling breeze. The countryside hum with fairs, parades, and commemorations. Art festivals celebrate painting and handicrafts, poetry, music and drama. In Dhaka, The capital of Bangladesh, this seasons marks the beginning of the social season with a frantic whirl of invitations to weddings, parties and dinners.