Most Kolkata likes to celebrate with music and dance. The residents of Dhaka start celebrations from dawn and held a public celebration of Poila Baisakh in Ramna Maidan. Or the relatively obscure composition Aaj Ranashaje Bajiye Bishan Esheche Esheche Baisach. What the two sides of the border have in common is New Year ’s Rabindra Sangeet or Tagore ’s musical performance Esho Hey Baisakh Esho Esho (Come on Baisakh, come on!)
This is a public holiday in Kolkata, but in Dhaka, even the newspaper offices are closed on the New Year. The celebration was held in Poila Boishakh, West Bengal, and the celebration was called “Pahela Baisakh” in Bangladesh. Poila Boishakh Different in Bangladesh than IndiaĪlthough Poila Baisakh is largely part of the Hindu calendar, “Naba Barsho” is a national festival in the Islamic State of Bangladesh, and the celebration of this part of Bengal is more prosperous. It was finally held on the last day of the year at Latu Babu-Chhatu Babur Bazar in North Kolkata and one day later in Konnagar location of the only “Basi Charaker Mela”. The traditional Charak Mela, including some extreme spiritual acrobatics, was held in various towns in West Bengal. Hindus across Bengal celebrate the end of the year or “Chaitra Sankranti” through some exciting gatherings and festivals, such as Gajan and Charak. Moreover, people dress up in traditional clothes and then get busy all day.īengalis cook many delicious dishes on this day, such as lamb curry, fish curry, Radhaballavi, Chholar dal.įor Bengali traders and shop owners, Poila Baisakh is Haal Khata time – an auspicious day to “open” the ledger.Īlmost all shops and business centers pay tribute to Ganesh and Lakshmi Puja and formally invite ordinary customers to attend the party.įor consumers, it may not always be worth looking forward to, because Haal Khata also means solving all outstanding debts of the previous year. Many people visit the Holy River and soak in the water to purify their souls. In the famous Bengal town, from folk songs to short plays and even traditional drama performances can be witnessed.īengali New Year Celebrated in West Bengal The dance program dominates the evening of special days.The rest of the day is used to visit relatives, eat, and share food.Rangoli is sometimes prepared in the house advertisement in front of the house, and it is followed today.The meal includes rice, fish, green peppers, onions, and certain desserts. In addition to this, housewives also prepare a rich breakfast.After the procession, men and women sing and dance, listening to various traditional folk songs.Applying “Tikka” that is obtained in temples.
Men wear traditional kurtas and dhotis.They look elegant and are paired with white pearls. Women decorate themselves with large gold earrings and heavy jewelry, most of which are gold.These are white saris with bright red borders. This garment is a kind of Garad saree worn by women.After that, religious processions were held, this gathering procession was called Prabhat Pheris.In the morning, believers began to watch the rising sun on the first morning because they believed it would be an auspicious day.Folklores tells that the occasion came into existence after the tradition was introduced in West Bengal during the time-period of emperor Akbar in an attempt to come up with a fixed day every year on which the tax on the harvest could be collected.
The tradition of celebration of the festival dates back to the Mughal era. This year, the celebrations may be dampened due to coronavirus pandemic. Usually, people purchase new clothes and have a gala time together on this day. On this auspicious occasion, fairs are organized in cities, where people meet and greet each other by saying, “Shubho Nobobarsho," which translates to Happy New Year. It is celebrated with a lot of enthusiasm every year and the fervour remain high. Poila Boishakh, as the name suggests, is the first day of the first month of Boishakh in the lunisolar Bengali calendar and usually falls on April 14 or 15. This year, Bengalis will celebrate the festival amid the shadow of COVID-19 in West Bengal, Tripura and Assam on April 15. The first day of the Bengali calendar is celebrated as Poila Boishakh, also known as Bangla Noboborsho.