Dhaka is in a festive mood today, dressed in colours so vibrant that even in this blistering Chaitra-Baishakh heat you feel a sense of joy around you. City dwellers are out and about, attending various programmes organised to usher in the Bangla new year.

This year’s Pahela Baishakh celebrations will be lacklustre, as many pundits suggest.

There’s something magical about old buildings. You walk through the halls, and it feels like the walls are trying to tell you something. I have heard somewhere that every old brick holds a story.

Bridegrooms in wedding processions used to parade around the area in all pomp and fervour, making one circle, two circles, or sometimes even seven circles. 

Experiencing a “kalbaishakhi jhor” inside the mangrove forest of Sundarbans can be both a spine-chilling experience or a romantic one.

As Ramadan concluded at the end of last month, beckoning the arrival of Eid festivities, there was a lot of buzz on social media regarding “Eid gifts”.

Eid in Dhaka is a time of vibrant celebrations, heartfelt reunions, and, for many, the perfect opportunity to capture and share the city’s festive spirit on Instagram.

The last two days before the grand Eid day are packed with frenzied fuss about anything and everything.

Four centuries ago, the Muslim population of Dhaka was relatively small. However, the arrival of the Mughals precipitated a shift. These individuals brought their own culinary staff, ensuring the availability of familiar fare.

Dilkusha garden house was built in 1866 by Nawab Khwaja Abdul Ghani

The sky glows in soft pink, blending into the gentle waves while a cool breeze fills the air with serenity. Sitting on the only boat floating in the middle of the Buriganga, preparing ourselves for iftar, it’s not hard to get lost in the beauty of the moment.

But did you know that he was a man of literature as well?

I have read somewhere that the best part of iftar is sharing the moment with your family, although not everyone is lucky enough to spend the month of Ramadan with loved ones.

Tailors typically enjoy star status at this time of the year. Besides your regular tailor, who takes your bespoke orders for dresses; there are tailors for upholstery work, who are no less busy and sought after now.

The artistes were illustrious not just in our city; their repute spanned throughout the Mughal Empire in general. 

Chandni was one of the favourites of the iconic Mughal subahdar in Dhaka, Nawab Islam Khan

Subbasi is a Bengali-influenced dialect that is now spoken by original residents of Dhakaiya community

Have you ever felt the pulse of Dhaka in Ramadan? The way this unforgiving city pauses just before sunset? As if it’s holding its breath with the rest of us, then exhaling in unison with the call to prayer?

What is hardship food? I had no idea. The thought of what people eat during natural calamities, war, displacement and such, never came to my mind. It is something we do not think about unless we start to live in destitution.

The Daily Star’s “My Dhaka” recently ran a photography contest titled “My Dhaka Lens,” where people were asked to submit their entries on the theme of Dhaka -- anything that embodies the beauty, soul, or essence of our city.