Bengali New Year

Nababarsha or Poila Boisakh is the first day of New Year for Bengalis starting with the month of ‘Baisakh’ as per Bengali Calendar and ushers in a new opening, a new anticipation, filled with delight, happiness and wealth amidst the green fields, blue skies and colourful trees of spring glowing with delight and cheerfulness .

People clean and elaborately decorate their houses with flowers while women draw colourful Rangolis or alpanas in front of the house to welcome the New Year. A kalash is placed in the center of the alpana pattern, filled with water and decorated with mango leaves symbolizing prosperity.

Nababarsha celebrations start with Prabhat Pheri’s or morning processions early in the morning where people wear traditional dresses with women dressing themselves in white sarees with red borders and flowers in hair, while men wear the Dhoti and Kurta.

People participate in various cultural activities like dance, songs, and poem recitations which are organized in various parts to celebrate the day. People also visit their friends and dear ones to wish each other "Shubho Nabo Barsho!"

Goddess of Wealth, Lakshmi and Lord Ganesh are worshipped by people on the day especially it is starting of new accounting year for shopkeepers, traders and businessmen. They close the old accounts and purchase new accounting book for business on Nababarsha and after worshipping them, they perform the halkhata ceremony where they welcome customers on this day with sweets and other delicacies. Shops are decorated with flowers and people visit their favourite shops during the day to wish them luck for the year ahead.

Bengalis prepare mouth-watering cuisines for Poila Baisakh along with a variety of sweet delicacies during the day and share it among friends and family members.

Naba Barsha celebrations are marked with immense joy, enthusiasm and hope. Songs, dance, games besides reciting of poems are organized in various parts to mark the occasion.

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