The florists and wholesellers of Shahbagh are preparing to stockpile yellow marigolds, red roses and other flowers symbolic of Pohela Falgun or the first day of Falgun or spring, and Valentine’s Day. While the first celebrates the first day of spring according to the Bangla calendar, the latter is celebrated by young lovers, in a tradition harking back to medieval Rome. Sarees in yellow and gold, besides other special outfits for youth have seen high demand in the city markets. Florists are expecting big business with supplies of fresh flowers arriving from Godkhali in Jessore and Savar on the outskirts of the Capital, to meet the demand for roses, tube roses, marigolds and gladioli. As usual, students at the Dhaka University’s Institute of Fine Arts are preparing for the big day when hundreds would gather at the venue, to the sounds of the sitar and other musical instruments under the Bokul tree, singing and dancing to usher in spring with the first light of the day today. Traditionally, the spring festival begins with artists playing musical instruments to the Raaga Ahir Bhairo, signifying breaking of dawn spreading its lights through the leaves of mainly mango trees in blossom, drawing young and old alike. Evergreen songs include Tagore’s “Aha Koto Banshi Baje, Koto Ful fute Aji Basopnto” (Ah so many flutes are playing and so many flowers in blossom in spring). Coinciding with Valentine’s Day,the next day on Sunday, symbolising love and affection, the spring festival has assumed a special significance in the lives of people living in the concrete jungle that is Dhaka, with some green patches in and around the Dhaka University campus serving as the city’s lungs, especially on this cheerful weekend. Meanwhile, the Meteorological Department forecasts a light shower today at places over Chittagong, Barisal and Khulna Divisions. The city weather may remain fine, said meteorologists, promising a nice spring day with patches of clouds and fog. Already, after a light overnight shower, totalling four mm, over the capital, the weather remained murky on the last day of the Magh, with the winter sun not shining through much yesterday through the fog.