I just feel led to share with others various Bengali traditions. While the world is shrinking in many ways I feel led to bring out the various cultural traditions we have in our Bengali culture from where I have come out somewhat. I believe our ancestors have lived in Bengal, India for the past five generations prior to which they lived in the northern parts of India. The Indo Gangetic plain provided a very easy going life to our ancestors apart from the fact that all this was prior to the industrial revolution in Europe starting off with the discovery of the steam power to turn turbines and other engines to generate power. All this led to a fast paced life with more ready money on hand and a life away from the rural/agricultural economy in the main that had been the chief source of subsistence as well as wealth in most parts of the world. I believe the sedantary life gave people opportunities to interact with other and out of it came out many ‘rasams’ – or special celebrations on various occasions. One such is ‘Aiburobhar’.
My children laughed at the word ‘buro’ which means an old man and reckoned it must be something to do with old people. I had to correct them and tell them Aiburo means an unmarried young adult male or female and ‘bhat’ means rice – and it is associated with the rice that the young bride or bridegroom to be eats before they tie the knot.
In Bengal we have many rice eating ceremonies. Mukhebhat – rice eating ceremony for babies when the first incisors come out. We have boubhat when the ‘bou’ or the bride enters her in-laws place and feeds her in-laws with cooked steamed rice as a gesture of becoming part and parcel of the new family and the new life that she enters. Airburobhat is for either the son or the daughter as a send off party given by parents usually. It is virtually their last meal before they get married.
World Without Walls 