Poila Baishakh: Celebrating a New Year Steeped in Bengali Culture
A vibrant festival marking new beginnings, community, and bountiful harvests
The arrival of the Bengali New Year, which is a time of joy and celebration for Bengalis worldwide, is signaled by Poila Baishakh, also called Pohela Boishakh. This festival is a colorful cultural celebration that crosses religious barriers. It is commemorated on April 14th in Bangladesh and April 15th in the Indian states of West Bengal, Tripura, Jharkhand, and Assam. Poila Baishakh has its roots in the 16th-century Bengali calendar, which was instituted by Mughal Emperor Akbar to synchronize tax collection with the agricultural harvest. Numerous traditions are observed on this day, such as unique prayers, processions, and the Boishakhi Melas, which are fairs.
As a symbol of a new beginning, families clean their homes and put on new clothes first thing in the morning. In the neighborhood, the customary greeting "Shubho Noboborsho" is heard as people exchange good wishes for wealth and joy. "Haal Khata" is a big part of the celebration, where traders ceremoniously open new ledgers to mark the start of a new fiscal year. The joyous mood is enhanced by cultural events that include poetry, dance, and music recitals that are frequently influenced by the writings of Kazi Nazrul Islam and Rabindranath Tagore.
The Mangal Shobhajatra, a vibrant procession conducted by the University of Dhaka's Faculty of Fine Arts, has been recognized by UNESCO as a part of humanity's cultural legacy, adding to the festival's significance. The march is evidence of the people's yearning for peace and prosperity as well as their spirit of solidarity. Poila Baishakh revolves around food, with people cooking and sharing traditional Bengali fare like panta bhat, hilsa fish, and desserts like rosogolla and sandesh.
Poila Baishakh, in its heart, is a rebirth of the social fabric that unites the Bengali community rather than just a celebration of the start of a new year. This day symbolizes the victory of righteousness over immorality, illumination over obscurity, and harmony over discord. Hearts full with hope and dreams, eager to embrace the opportunities that lay ahead, greet the new year. To everybody, Shubho Noboborsho, may this Poila Baishakh bring boundless happiness and wealth.
