| Pohela Boishakh পহেলা বৈশাখ | |
|---|---|
 Mangal Shobhajatra at Pohela Baishakh celebration inDhaka, Bangladesh | |
| Official name | Pohela Boishakh[1] |
| Also called | Pahela Baishakh, Poila Boishakh, Pahela Boishak, Poila Boishak, Poila Baishak[n 1] |
| Observed by | Bengalis |
| Type | Social, cultural and national festival |
| Significance | Start of new year inBengali calendar |
| Celebrations | Boishakhi Mela (fair), processions, gift-giving, visiting relatives and friends, cultural programmes |
| Date | 14 April(Bangladesh) 14 or 15 April(India) |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Related to | South and Southeast Asian solar New Year |
| Part ofa series on the |
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Pohela Boishakh (Bengali:পহেলা বৈশাখ or পয়লা বৈশাখ[2])[n 1] is theBengali New Year celebrated by theBengali people worldwide and as a holiday on 14 April inBangladesh and 15 April or 14 April (leap year) in the Indian[3] states ofWest Bengal,Tripura,Jharkhand andAssam (Goalpara andBarak Valley). It is a festival based on the springharvest—which marks the first day of the new year in theBengali calendar.[4][5][6][7]
Pohela Boishakh celebrations started during therule of Mughal empire, representing the proclamation of tax collection reforms underAkbar.[8] Its celebration is rooted in the traditions of the Bengali MuslimMahifarash community ofOld Dhaka.[9][10] Presently, it is largely a secular holiday for most celebrants and enjoyed by people of several different faiths and backgrounds.
The festival is celebrated with processions, fairs and family time. The traditional greeting for Bengalis in the new year isশুভ নববর্ষ (Shubho Noboborsho) which is literally "Happy New Year". The festiveMangal Shobhajatra is organised in Bangladesh. In 2016, theUNESCO declared this festivity organised by theFaculty of Fine Arts, University of Dhaka as a cultural heritage of humanity.[11]
InBengali, the wordPohela (orPahelaBengali:পহেলা), alternativelyPoila (Bengali:পয়লা), means 'first' andBoishakh (orBaishakBengali:বৈশাখ) is the first month of the Bengali calendar (Bengali:পহেলা বৈশাখPohela Boishakh,Pahela Boishakh,Pahale Baishak orBengali:পয়লা বৈশাখPoila Boishakh).[n 1][23]
Bengali New Year is referred to in Bengali asNobo Borsho (Bengali:নববর্ষ), where 'Nobo' means new and 'Borsho' means year.[24][25]
During Mughal rule, land taxes were collected fromBengali people according to the IslamicHijri calendar. This calendar was alunar calendar, and its new year did not coincide with the solaragricultural cycles. According to some sources, the festival was a tradition introduced inBengal during the rule of Mughal EmperorAkbar to time the tax year to the harvest, and the Bangla year was therewith calledBangabda. Akbar asked the royalastronomerFathullah Shirazi to create a new calendar by combining the lunarIslamic calendar and solarHindu calendar already in use, and this was known as Fasholi shan (harvest calendar). According to some historians, this started theBengali calendar. According toShamsuzzaman Khan, it could be NawabMurshid Quli Khan, a Mughal governor, who first used the tradition of Punyaho as "a day for ceremonial land tax collection", and used Akbar's fiscal policy to start theBangla calendar.[8][26]
According to Shamsuzzaman Khan,[27] andNitish Sengupta, the origin of the Bengali calendar is unclear.[28] According to Shamsuzzaman, it is called Bangla shon or shaal, which areArabic (سن) andPersian (سال) words respectively, suggests that it was introduced by a Muslim king or sultan."[27] In contrast, according to Sengupta, its traditional name isBangabda.[28][29] It is also unclear, whether it was adopted byAlauddin Husain Shah or Akbar. The tradition to use the Bengali calendar may have been started by Husain Shah before Akbar.[28] Regardless of who adopted the Bengali calendar and the new year, states Sengupta, it helped collect land taxes after the spring harvest based on traditional Bengali calendar, because the Islamic Hijri calendar created administrative difficulties in setting the collection date.[28]Some say that the current Bengali Calendar begins from the year ofHijrah, i.e., migration ofProphet Muhammad, the last messenger inIslam, fromMakkah toMadinah.[30]
The festive celebrations of the Bengali New Year can be traced back to theBengali Muslim fishmonger community ofMahifarash inOld Dhaka.[31][32] During the Mughal period, the Mahifarash were known for organising feasts and banquets at theirAzimpur grounds to mark the beginning of the cultivation harvest season. This day-long feast served as a precursor to what would later be evolved into the traditional Pohela Boishakh celebration.[33]
Some historians attribute the Bengali calendar to the 7th-century Indian kingShashanka.[27][28] The termBangabda (Bangla year) is found too in twoShiva temples many centuries older thanAkbar era, suggesting that Bengali calendar existed before Akbar's time.[28] Various dynasties whose territories extended intoBengal, prior to the 13th-century, used theVikrami calendar.Buddhist texts and inscriptions created in thePala Empire era mention "Vikrama" and the months such asAshvin, a system found inSanskrit texts elsewhere in ancient and medieval Indian subcontinent.[24][34][35][36][37]
In rural Bengali communities of India, the Bengali calendar is credited to "Bikromaditto", like many other parts of India andNepal. However, unlike these regions where it starts in 57 BCE, the Bengali calendar starts from 593 CE suggesting that the starting reference year was adjusted at some point.[38][39][40]
In Bangladesh however, the old Bengali calendar was modified in 1966 by a committee headed byMuhammad Shahidullah, making the first five months 31 days long, rest 30 days each, with the month ofFalgun adjusted to 31 days in every leap year.[41] This was officially adopted by Bangladesh in 1987. Since then, the national calendar starts with and the new year festival always falls on 14 April in Bangladesh.[41] In 2018–19, the calendar was amended again, with Falgun now lasting 29 days in regular years and to 30 days in leap ones, in an effort to more align with Western use of the Gregorian calendar. However, the date of the celebration, 14 April, was retained.
The Bengali calendar in India remains tied to the Hindu calendar system and is used to set the various Bengali Hindu festivals. For Bengalis of West Bengal and other Indian states, the festival falls either on 14 or 15 April every year. The current Bengali calendar in use in the Indian states is based on the Sanskrit textSurya Siddhanta. It retains the historic Sanskrit names of the months, with the first month asBaishakh.[41]
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During Pohela Boishakh, people wear traditional attire, namely women clad insaris andsalwar kameez and men dressed inkurta, visit their families and friends and spend time together. Pohela Boishakh is also known for uniting friends and family after a long time. It is a time for unity and reuniting, and spending enjoyable time with friends and family, while putting the past behind.
The celebration of Bengali new yearPahela Baishakh begins at dawn arranged by the cultural organisationChhayanaut welcoming the year at Ramna Batamul under the banyan tree in the Ramna Park in Bangladesh.[42]
Haal Khata is a festival celebrated on the occasion of Pohela Boishakh in order to complete all the account reckonings of the last year and open a newledger. It is observed by the Bengali businessmen, shopkeepers and traders. It signifies that every year starts with a new beginning. It ignores all the due debts of customers and shopkeepers alike, and instead opens a new page for a new year of shopkeeping.
On this occasion, males are seen wearing red or whiteKurta with traditional designs on them, imprinted or embroidered. Women and young ladies wear red and whitesaree with blouses and put on flower crowns on their heads. Girls also dress insalwar kameez. They are seen wearing traditional ornaments and accessories along with their dresses. It is thought that it is because the traditional ledgers used in Haal Khata had a red cover with white pages.
In recent times, claiming it to be traditional, Bengalis eatPanta Bhat orpoitabhat, which is a rice-based dish prepared by soaking rice, generally leftovers, in water overnight. It is popularly eaten withHilsa Fish and other curries.[43] But many argue that it is not an age-old tradition and merely a trend.[44] To stop overfishing and to repopulate the dwindling Hilsa population, around this time, fishing is banned.
Mangal Shobhajatra (Bengali: মঙ্গল শোভাযাত্রা) or Barshabaran Ananda Shobhajatra (Bengali: বর্ষবরণ আনন্দ শোভাযাত্রা) is a mass procession that takes place at dawn on the first day of the Bengali New Year in Bangladesh. The procession is organised by the teachers and students of theFaculty of Fine Arts of the University of Dhaka. The festival is considered an expression of the secular identity of the Bangladeshi people and as a way to promote unity. It was declared an intangible cultural heritage byUNESCO in 2016, categorised on the representative list as a heritage of humanity.[citation needed]
It is a fair held by the locals of that area where many different things ranging from books to special dishes are sold. Traditionally, the fair was held under hugeBanyan trees and traders from far across the areas would gather with their goods and toys in the fair. Some rides such as Nagordola (woodenFerris wheel), are set for kids. Different types of traditional foods are sold out in the stalls such asJilipi,Sandesh,Soan papdi, Batasha (a candy made of sugar or jaggery),[circular reference] Khoi (popped rice), Kadma (a candy made of sugar), and so forth. 'Bioscope', a form of the old movie projector, was also a part of the attraction for the younglings back in the days.[45]
The Bengali New Year is observed as a public holiday in Bangladesh. It is celebrated across religious boundaries by its Muslim majority and Hindu minority.[46] According toWillem van Schendel andHenk Schulte Nordholt, the festival became a popular means of expressing cultural pride and heritage among the Bangladeshi as they resisted Pakistani rule in the 1950s and 1960s.[47]
The day is marked with singing, processions, and fairs. Traditionally, businesses start this day with a new ledger, clearing out the old which often involves inviting loyal customers and offering sweetmeats to them. This festival is calledHaal Khata. Singers perform traditional songs welcoming the new year. People enjoy classicalJatra plays. People wear festive dress with women desking their hair with flowers. White-red color combinations are particularly popular.[48]
Bangladeshis prepare and enjoy a variety of traditional festive foods on Pohela Boishakh. These includepanta bhat (watered rice),ilish bhaji (fried hilsa fish) and many specialbhartas (pastes).[49][48]
The celebrations start in Dhaka at dawn with a rendition ofRabindranath Tagore's song "Esho he Boishakh" byChhayanaut under the banyan tree atRamna (the Ramna Batamul). An integral part of the festivities is theMangal Shobhajatra, a traditional colourful procession organised by the students of theFaculty of Fine Arts, University of Dhaka (Charukala). According to the history, the rudimentary step of Mangal Shobhjatra was started in Jessore by Charupith, a community organisation, in 1985. Later in 1989 the Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Dhaka arranged this Mangal Shobhajatra with different motifs and themes. Now, the Mangal Shobhajatra is celebrated by different organisation in all over the country.[51]
The Dhaka University Mangal Shobhajatra tradition started in 1989 when students used the procession to overcome their frustration with the military rule. They organised the festival to create masks and floats with at least three theme, one highlighting evil, another courage, and a third about peace.[11] It also highlighted the pride of Bangladeshi people for their folk heritage irrespective of religion, creed, caste, gender or age.[11]
In recent years, the procession has a different theme relevant to the country's culture and politics every year. Different cultural organisations and bands also perform on this occasion and fairs celebratingBengali culture are organised throughout the country. Other traditional events held to celebrate Pohela Boishakh include bull racing in Munshiganj,Boli Khela (wrestling) in Chittagong,Nouka Baich (boat racing), cockfights, pigeon racing.[52]
Pohela Boishakh celebrations in Chittagong involves similar traditions of that in Dhaka. The students of the fine arts institute ofChittagong University brings the Mangal Shobhajatra procession in the city, followed by daylong cultural activities.[53]
At DC hill & CRB, a range of cultural programmes are held by different socio-cultural and educational organisations of the city. The Shammilito Pohela Boishakh Udjapon Parishad holds a two-day function at the hill premises to observe the festival, starting with Rabindra Sangeet recitations in the morning. In the late afternoon, through evening, Chaitra Sangkranti programme is held to bid farewell to the previous year.[53]
At the Chittagong Shilpakala Academy, different folk cultures, music, dances, puppet shows are displayed.[53]
Bengalis of India have historically celebrated Pohela Boishakh, and it is an official regional holiday in its states of West Bengal and Tripura. The day is also called Nabo Barsho.[54]
Pohela Boisakh has been the traditional New Year festival in the state, with the new year referred to as theNoboborsho.[24] The festival falls on 14 or 15 April, as West Bengal follows its traditional Bengali calendar, which adjusts for solar cycle differently than the one used in Bangladesh where the festival falls on 14 April.[55]
Notable events of West Bengal include the early morning cultural processions calledPrabhat Pheri. These processions see dance troupes and children dressed up with floats, displaying their performance arts to songs ofRabindranath Tagore.[56]
Pohela Boishakh is a state holiday in Tripura. People wear new clothes and start the day by praying at the temples for a prosperous year. The day marks the traditional accounting new year for merchants.[57][58] Festive foods such asconfectionery and sweets are purchased and distributed as gifts to friends and family members.[58]
The festival is also observed by the Bengali communities in other eastern states such asAssam.[59]
Bangladesh Heritage and Ethnic Society ofAlberta in Canada celebrates its Heritage Festival (Bengali New Year) in a colourful manner along with other organisations. Bengali people inCalgary celebrate the day with traditional food, dress, and with Bengali culture.[60][61] The Bangabandhu Council of Australia also hosts a Pohela Boishakh event at theSydney Olympic Park.[62]
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