Poila Boishakh: a festival for people of Bengali heritage

‘Poila Boishakh’ is not only a festival for some Indian countries, it’s makes our mind aroused by the joy. It’s a day when we all celebrate our ‘Bangla Nabobarsho’ with our family and as well as our friends. Specially some of us don’t forget about the day for the new dresses and the various types of discount on market products what is called the ‘Choitro sell’. The last month of Bengali calendar ‘choitro’ is famous for “Choitro Sale” when all shopping prices fall discounted (sale) all throughout the month.

After the last month of the year we celebrate our day Pohela Boishakh or Bangla Nabobarsho in the first day of Bengali calendar. The day is celebrated on 14 April as a national holiday in Bangladesh, and on 14 or 15 April we celebrate the day in the Indian states of West Bengal, Tripura, Odisha and part of Assam by people of Bengali heritage. The festival is celebrated with friends and family members.

As it’s a first day of new year Bengali families clean and decorate their house with alpana(Rangoli). In the centre of the alpana they placed a earthen pot. It is filled by water and capped by mango leaves which is marked with a swastika sign. This is the day when people wears new dresses and start their day by visiting Hindu temples. Many people visit the nearby river to take a ritual bath and to say their prayers to God. Some special events for this day of west Bengal include Prabhat Pheri, which is the early morning cultural processions with the songs of Rabindra Nath Tagore. Some people displaying their performance arts with the song.

Traders starts new accounting year by praying to Lakshmi and Ganesha. They starts opening new accounting books is called Hal Khata where the first page is with a drawing of the Hindu symbol of auspiciousness called swastika. Some shopkeepers distribute their clients, print goddess calendars with their address and with a packet of sweets. Although, the festival begins some days before the day of ‘Poila Boishakh’ with some music and dance shows.

Pic: collected

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