History of Bengali New Year or Pohela Boishakh

History of Bengali New Year or Pohela Boishakh

Pohela Boishakh, also known as Bengali New Year or Nobo Borso, marks the first day of the initial month of Baishakh of the Bengali solar calendar. It is one of the most important festivals for the Bengali community and is celebrated with much pomp in West Bengal and Bangladesh. It also happens to be a national holiday in Bangladesh. People wear new clothes, visit temples, eat delicious preparations and spend time with their loved ones on this day. Bengalis greet each other on this day by saying Shubho Nabo Barsho, which translates to ‘Happy New Year’. Several fairs and events are organised across West Bengal to celebrate this joyous occasion. Interestingly, Pohela Boishakh coincides with other regional festivals like Baisakhi in Punjab, Vishu in Kerala, Puthandu in Tamil Nadu and Bihu in Assam.

History Of Bengali New Year
Under the Mughals, agricultural taxes were collected according to the Hijri calendar. However, as the Hijri calendar is a purely lunar calendar, it does not coincide with the harvest. As a result, farmers were hard-pressed to pay taxes out of season. In order to streamline tax collection, the Mughal Emperor Akbar ordered a reform of the calendar. Accordingly, Fatehullah Shirazi, a renowned scholar and astronomer, formulated the Bengali year on the basis of the Hijri lunar and Hindu solar calendars. The new Fasli San (agricultural year) was introduced on 10/11 March 1584, but was dated from Akbar’s ascension to the throne in 1556. The new year subsequently became known as Bônggabdo or Bengali year.

Celebrations of Pohela Boishakh started from Akbar’s reign. It was customary to clear up all dues on the last day of Choitro. On the next day, or the first day of the new year, landlords would entertain their tenants with sweets. On this occasion there used to be fairs and other festivities. In due course the occasion became part of domestic and social life, and turned into a day of merriment. The main event of the day was to open a halkhata or new book of accounts. This was wholly a financial affair. In villages, towns and cities, traders and businessmen closed their old account books and opened new ones. They used to invite their customers to share sweets and renew their business relationship with them. This tradition is still practised, especially by jewellers.

Celebrations of Pohela Boishakh started from Akbar’s reign. It was customary to clear up all dues on the last day of Choitro. On the next day, or the first day of the new year, landlords would entertain their tenants with sweets. On this occasion there used to be fairs and other festivities. In due course the occasion became part of domestic and social life, and turned into a day of merriment. The main event of the day was to open a halkhata or new book of accounts. This was wholly a financial affair. In villages, towns and cities, traders and businessmen closed their old account books and opened new ones. They used to invite their customers to share sweets and renew their business relationship with them. This tradition is still practiced, especially by jewelers.

How the celebrations take place?

On the eve of the Bengali New Year, Bengalis visit the Kalighat temple to offer prayers. Holy places like Dakshineswar and Belur also witness a surge in the number of devotees. Families clean and decorate their houses to prepare for the occasion.

For many, the day begins by taking a holy dip early in the morning, preferably just before dawn, in the Ganges or any other equivalent river that’s considered holy. People dress up in traditional attire— kurtas and pajamas for men and sarees for men. Most apparel shops roll out “Chaitra Sale” or the end-of-year sale a month before Poila Baishakh.

On this day, Bengalis greet each other by saying “Shubho Naboborsho”, which translates to “Happy New Year”. Visiting relatives’ house or having a family reunion or get-together is common. Indulging in quintessential Bengali food like radhaballavi, chholar dal, shukto, fish and mutton curry, among others is a must. Sweets, including rasgulla, kaju barfi, and roshomalai are served in households. Almost all restaurants prepare special Bengali dishes and are usually jam-packed on this day.

Cultural events are organized across Bengal and other states. Rabindrasangeet, Najrulgeeti, and folk songs and dance form an integral part of these events. Streets and parks are decorated with colored lights and megaphones playing Bengali songs are set up in localities.