On Bengali New Year's Eve, Bengalis visit many temples 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.bought gold and silver at the jewelry store. The New Bengali calendar is given in many shops. In the shop, various businessmen do “Halkhata”
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 the "Chaitra Sale" or the end-of-year sale a month before Poila Baishakh.
Food is the main thing on this day mainly sweets. Sweet distribution is common on this day On this day, Bengalis greet each other by saying "Shubho Naboborsho", which translates to "Happy New Year". Visiting relatives' houses or having a family reunion or get-together is common. Indulging in quintessential Bengali food like radhaballavi, cholar 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 jampacked on this day.
Cultural events are organized across Bengal and other states. Singing dancing, and recitation many of this are integral parts of these events. Streets and parks are decorated with colored lights and megaphones playing Bengali songs are set up in localities.
Bengali New Year is celebrated among the entire Bengali community irrespective of caste and religion. So, if you happen to be in the eastern part of India in April next year, don't forget to witness one of the biggest festivals of West Bengal—Poila Baishakh.
About Bengali New Year
Bengali New Year is a regional holiday. On the festival day, the Bengali families wash their houses and fully beautify them with rangoli. They locate a clay pot capped with mango leaves and packed with water. The temples of Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity and wealth; and Ganesh, the god of propitious beginning; will be visited by the people.
The nearby rivers will also be visited to submit special prayers on the festival day. Like West Bengal, in Tripura, Pahela Baishakh is a state-level holiday. The residents of Tripura will wear new dresses and commence the festival day by visiting Hindu temples. This festival gives a fresh beginning in each element and is welcomed on a positive note by the people.
The people interchange the festival wishes among themselves. The young people seek the blessings of their elders by touching their feet for the next year to come. Handmade gifts will be designed based on local themes and shared among the people. A few families consider interchanging expensive gift items from overseas brands. Bengali New Year greeting cards can be obtained online at no cost.
Bengali New Year is a special day for the owners of commercial outlets and shops to open the ledgers. Merchants across the state perform Lakshmi Pooja and Ganesh Pooja and will organize parties for their regular customers. At schools and colleges, competitions will be organized for students such as dance competitions, singing competitions, art competitions, etc.
