New Delhi:
Bengalis across the globe get into the celebratory mood with their new year arriving with lots of new hopes and wishes on April 15, 2018.
The day is celebrated as Vaisakhi in central and north India, Vishu in Kerala and Puthandu in Tamil Nadu.
Significance:
Bengali New Year, popularly known as Poila Baishak (Boishakh) or Naba Barsha is being celebrated with full fervour on the first day in the month of Baishak. It is a national holiday for people in the Indian states of West Bengal, Tripura and Bangladesh, irrespective of their religious faith.
It is observed as the traditional solar new year and a harvest festival by Hindus and Sikhs in other parts of the country. Naba Barsha also marks the beginning of the Bengali financial year.
Dates:
Poila Baishak generally falls on April 14 or April 15, according to the lunisolar calendar. The Bengali calendar, introduced by the Mughal Emperor Akbar is a mixture of the lunar Islamic calendar and solar Hindu calendar.
Puja:
To celebrate the day, Bengalis pay a visit to temples and seek blessings from their beloved deities Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi to ensure prosperity throughout the year.
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Celebration:
People wear new clothes, exchange sweets, clean their house and take part in various cultural programmes to make the day extra special. In some houses, mango leaves garlands are put up at the main entrance. Many of them boil milk and let it spill, which is believed to be a sign of wealth and good luck.
On the other hand, merchants and traders keep the ledger books or 'Haal Khata' in front of the deity and conduct prayer for good fortune and wealth. They invite customers to visit shops and ask them to start a new account for the year ahead after settling the old ones.
Food is also an important part of Poila Baisakh like all other Indian festivals. People love to indulge in special food and prepare shukto, payesh, malpua and fishes like hilsa, bhetki and prawns.
Since, Naba Barsha is a perfect time for family reunion, here we wish you a very Happy Bengali New Year with your loved ones.
