Poila Baisakh In City: Food, Memory And Rhythms

Hyderabad: “Pet bhorle, mon bhorbe.” The idea that a full stomach brings contentment is how Poila Baisakh (Bengali New Year) is celebrated in Hyderabad every year. This year, April 15th fell midweek, so most meetings shifted to the weekend, reflecting work schedules and the way the community organizes its new year.

“Poila Baisakh starts a little late here. When we come back home, everything starts in the morning with new clothes, visits and the smell of food everywhere. Here it starts in the evening after work,” said Deepanita Guha, who has been living in Hyderabad for the last few years.

Its narrative reflects one end of the city’s celebrations. On the other hand, associations adjusted their calendars and formats to comply with the same restriction. Rahul Bose, who has lived in Hyderabad since 1999 and founded Bengalis in Hyderabad Collective two years ago, said his group will meet on April 19 instead of April 15. “Wednesday is a workday after all,” he said. The event will take place at a Bengali restaurant in Kondapur. “This place reminds us of the streets and street food of Kolkata, so there can be no better way to start the new year – good people, good time and most importantly really good food.”

Food runs through every plan. It also reveals what cannot be moved between cities without changing. “Although we get most of the food items today, it is still difficult to find varieties of fish and vegetables. Ilish or hilsa is a very strong reminder of home, but it is not always the easiest to get to,” said Bose. Even pool-like vegetables are valuable assets here because of their rarity. “When you come back to Bengal, you can find it everywhere. People often imagine Bengal as a state that only eats fish. There is very little awareness about vegetarian dishes, which is equally important for us.”

Older associations show a different timeline of change. Abhijeet Bhattacharya, vice president of Bangiya Sanskritik Sangha in Secunderabad, said the celebrations started at home and moved to larger venues in the last three decades. The group will meet at Keyes Girls’ High School on April 15. The menu remains central, he said. “Food is synonymous with Bengalis. All discussions begin and end with food, and even when someone is discussing politics, the topic somehow turns into food,” he said.

Food is the main theme at Bhattacharya’s events. From Kosha Mangsho to Pulao and Misti Doi, people can expect anything, he said. “When it comes to Bengali food in the city, one of the things we have taken from the Telugu culture is spiciness. We like it more spicy here. In Bengal, the food is usually not that spicy.”

Speaking of cultural fusion, Hyderabad Bengali Samitee, which is celebrating at the Country Club this year, has added Apricot Delight and Double ka Meetha to its menu. “Ask any Bengali, they love the sweets of Hyderabad, especially Apricot Delight and Shaidoot Malai,” Deepanita added.

Newer groups have built their activities on access as well as memory. Anirban Dutta, who has been living in Hyderabad for 16 years and working in the IT sector, runs the Arohon Cultural Association. The group will organize a Boishakhi Adda on April 18 at a community hall in Kokapet. He said pricing was a conscious decision. “There are lots of clubs, but the food variety is generally high. We try to keep the price point accessible and recreate foods we miss when we’re away from home, like fish fry, ribs and machine kalia.” He said the dinner was the first leg of the event. “Pet bhorle, mon bhorbe.” (If your stomach is full, your heart will be full too.)