In a country where summer is the most prominent among all the seasons, winter is nothing less than a blessing. Maybe this is why people all over the country get a sense of relief when winter comes. Since winter in this country is not as cold as in the northern parts of the world, you can actually enjoy the season. In that regard, calling it one of the most enjoyable seasons in Bangladesh wouldn’t be wrong.
However, winter doesn’t affect every part of the country in the same way. For example, winter in the northern areas of Bangladesh is quite different than all the other areas. Likewise, winter in rural and urban areas is also completely different from each other. But no matter where you live, there is a lot to enjoy this season.
That being said, here are 5 great things about winter in Dhaka that you can enjoy throughout the entire season.
Food
We Bengalis have always had a great appetite for seasonal food and every time around this time it gets more diverse. With an abundance of seasonal vegetables, you get to experience an innumerable amount of variations in foods across the city and the country as well. On the other hand, street foods in Dhaka also get completely revamped in winter. In every corner of the street, you will see a lot of stalls selling different types of ‘pitha’ , ‘chapti’ mostly with chatni and vorta.
Events and Festivals
Winter is also the season of festivals. A lot of events are planned around this season, some of them are exclusive only to winter. Shakrain festival also known as Kite festival and Ghuri Utsob is one of them. This is an annual festival that occurs at the end of Poush, the ninth month of the Bengali calendar (January 14 or 15 in the Gregorian calendar). This extravagant show is celebrated with a lot of light works followed by late-night parties. “Pitha Utsob” is another festival that normally occurs in winter. You will find various types of Pitha at a Pitha Utsob and the culinary diversity and uniqueness of those different types of Pitha are simply amazing.
Other than these, winter is also the season of a lot of concerts and cultural exhibitions. If you want, just a simple google search will give you a list of those in seconds.
Weather
In winter, the weather takes a cozy turn in Dhaka. It does not get as harsh as it gets in the northern parts of the country. Mostly because of the bustling nature of the city that always keeps it running. Dhaka becomes wacky in winter. Sometimes the weather might make you feel depressed as if an air of melancholy surrounds everything. You will feel the chill when the gusty wind slowly passes touching your ear. The view doesn’t become overly foggy in the morning. As the wheel of life is always whirling, you don’t get to see the boringness anywhere. All in all, weather in winter is something that you will definitely enjoy in Dhaka.
View
Views like the sunset and sunrise in winter are completely different compared to the other seasons. You can actually enjoy the magnificent sunrise and sunset from the rooftop of your building you live or work in, if you’re lucky enough to have a tall one; although this is not the ideal view. As far as the views of the surroundings go, it is different from the rural part of the country. In contrast to the vastness of nature there, Dhaka offers a compact suburban beauty.
Long Nights
When the night falls in winter, all the lifeforms start preparing for a temporary hibernation. The mood of the environment suddenly changes as if everything is going from disorder to order. Everyone starts heading home for the warm comfort. The wintry night is long and cold, perfect for enjoying a book or a movie. As midnight approaches, the environment becomes so subtle that you get a sense of tranquility. Only in winter, you get long enough nights for both enjoying solitude and cozy sleep.
Winter is a wonderful time of the year. Staying curled up under the blanket with a hot cup of tea or coffee, winter is the perfect time to be cozy and enjoy the urban and suburban beauty of Dhaka.
What do you like the most about winter in Dhaka? We would really like to know your view so let us know in the comments section below.
