Poila Baishakh

The Bengali New Year is also known as Poila Baishakh in West Bengal. The first day of the annual Bengali Calendar, is marked with heartfelt festivities and celebration across the entire state. The first month of the Bengali Calendar is the month of Baishakh and the first day or the ‘poila’ of the month indicates the beginning of the New Year for the Bengalis. It is festive time for everybody.

In the Bengali New Year, people hug each other with warmth-filled hearts and greet ‘Subho Nabo Borsho’, which in Bengali means Happy New Year. The whole of Bengal celebrates irrespective of any regional or religious differences in this event. Bengalis outside West Bengal also observe this happy occasion. It is usually in the middle of the English month of April when the Bengali New Year is celebrated.

Celebrating the day of Poila Baishakh goes back to the days of Akbar’s reign. It was the custom to be clear up all bills and dues on the last day of the Bengali month of ‘Chaitro’, which is the last day of a Bengali year. The idea was to begin the New Year in a new and fresh manner without any backlogs. On the next day of the New Year, the landlords would distribute sweets among the tenants. Fairs were also held to add to the entertainment.

The same custom is maintained even today. All the businesspersons especially all kinds of shopkeepers perform puja to welcome the New Year. The book of accounts or ‘Halkhata’ is opened on that day as it is considered auspicious. The three major football clubs in Kolkata along with others small sports clubs perform the exceptional ‘Bar Puja’, in which the goalposts are worshipped. The puja is performed on this auspicious day, with the hope of maximum success in the coming sports season.

People wear new clothes and every household performs puja to welcome the New Year. Arrangements of sumptuous feasts in every house and cultural programs are very common on this day. The Poila Boishakh bears immense importance in the life of every Bengali. The common belief is that if the first day of the year is spent on a fine and cheerful note, the happy spell will continue throughout the year.