Baishaki And Shuvo Noboborsho 2010
April 7, 2010
With the advent of spring, comes the harvest season. The hardwork of the whole year and the wait through the tough times pays rich dividends now.
The month of Baisakah or Vaishak (April) in the Hindu calendar marks the beginning of the crop cycle. This is the time of rejoice and widely celebrated among numerious communities in India.
The first day of the month of Baisakah or Vaishaka is celebrated as Bengali New Year, popularly known as Poila Baisakah or Pohela Boishakh. The Sikh communities celebrate this event as well and call it Vaishakhi.
Families get together to celebrate the New Year with a lot of excitement. Everyone is dressed in their best with new clothes and accessories. The household entrance is decorated with “Alpona” which is similar to Rangoli but in the Bengali community, the designs are drawn with rice paste instead of dry coloured powder. These remain longer and do not get easily smudged unline Rangoli. Flower garlands are hung at the entrance of the house which creates a jovial mood for every visitor.
Bengalis are knows for their sweets and this is the best occasion to put this to the test. Unlimited varieties of sweets and savouries are made at home or purchased from leading sweets shops. Members of the family all come together to celebrate this day.
“Probhat Pheri” is a procession organized early in the morning to welcome the New Year. Most business establishments have Lord Ganesh and Goddess Laxmi Puja/ Pooja at their offices, so that they can start the first day of business with blessings.
The account books or “Halkhata” are marked with red vermilion with signs of Swastika to bring them good business for the whole year. People throng in large numbers to Kalighat to seek the blessings of Goddess Kali. (Read our previous post on Kalighat to understand the significance of the Divine Mother.)
Rabindranath Tagore’s songs and poems resonate through the streets of Kolkata. Cultural programmes are organized in every street corner to spread cheer. There are fairs organized to add to the extravaganza like Bangla Sangit Mela.
Poila Boishakh has a way of uniting all Bengali across the globe together. It makes us understand our roots although we maybe global citizens. The rich Bengali culture brims with knowledge, arts and music waiting to be experienced by one and all.
We wish our readers Shubho Noboborsho.
©Nayna 2007-2010. All Rights Reserved.
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