If you are a Bengali, you surely wouldn’t like to miss the Bengali New Year celebrations. During mid-April, either on the 14th or the 15th of April, you shall be able to hear people wishing each other ‘Shubo Nabo Barsho’ (greetings for a happy new year). The Bengali month when Bengali New Year is celebrated is the month of Baisakh (being the first month of Bengali New Year). Tracing back the history of Bengali New Year, we shall be able to find that the festival of Nabo Barsha was initiated by the great Mughal emperor, Akbar.This New Year festival is celebrated with a great deal of passion and energy, that too not only in Bengal but also outside.
Specifically, the Tribal people in the hilly areas also indulge in Bengali New year celebrations. It’s time for them to say goodbye to the past year and greet the New Year with all the religious norms in place.
Bengali New Year traditions
Roughly all Bengalis eagerly wait for this festival as during this time they decorate their houses with fresh flowers and draw rangolis at the main entrance. Rangolis are otherwise known as ‘Alpana’ and is made out of colored rice. An earthen pot bearing the symbol of Swastika is kept in the middle of rangoli. It is believed to bring in wealth and symbolizes a prosperous New Year.
Nabo Barsha Celebrations
It is a tradition on Bengali New year to wear the ethnic and traditional red and white Sari, with the men fraternity joining the celebrations by wearing a dhoti kurta.
There are early morning processions which are known as Prabhat Pheries, where they go to a nearby river to take a holy dip. The concept behind this tradition is that they wash away all the sins.
After this process being followed, the idols of Lord Ganesha and Goddess Laxmi are worshipped with the aim to pray for the well-being and longevity of all the family members. There is another tradition of the New Year whereby all the loans and old dues should be settled off with the third parties. Also on this auspicious day, there is a norm among Bengali businessmen to purchase new accounts books and they take all the new initiative to prepare new accounts known as Haalkhata. At some of the places, people arrange for dance and singing shows. Kids also recite Bengali poems but among all that preparation, eating traditional Bengali food is the prime focus.
Not only in India, among the Bengali population but also in Bangladesh, full celebration of the Bengali New Year takes place. The day commence before the break of dawn with the crowd gathering in Ramna Park for a cultural show organized by the Chhayanat every year.
Other celebrations of Poila Baisakh in Bangladesh Boishakhi Shobha Jatra is the main attraction of the day. Early morning, a rally starts from the CharuKala Institute of Dhaka University.
A Boishakhi Fair is organized across the country, continuing up to 7 days. People of all age groups get attracted to this fair and anything from home accessories to authentic Bengali items are available in this fair.
At some places, rural sports like Nouka Baich (boat race), Kite flying, Bull Racing, and pigeon flying are organized and they attract loads of people.
The other cultural activities of Bengali New year includes staging of folk songs like Palagan, kavigan, Jarigan, Gambhira gan, Gazirgan, baul, marfati, murshidi and bhatiali songs. Jatras are also performed by well-known artists.
