Pohela Boishakh

Pohela Boishak is the first day of the Bengali Calendar. It is on 14

april in Bangladesh and 15 april in other places. The holiday is
celebrated in Bangladesh and India state of West Bengal. It is also
celebrated in Bengali communities in the other Indian states like
Assam, Tripura, Jharkhand and Orissa and all over Indian as well
where the Bengali community is. It is the same day as the New Year’s
Days of many southern Asian calendars. In Bangladesh, it is a
national holiday. Thus the combination of the terms ‘pohela’ which
means ‘first’ boishakh is the first month of the Bengali calendar.
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 Bonggabdo 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 joy. The main event of the day was to open
a Halkhata or new book of accounts.
Pohela Boishakh marks the begin day of the farming season.
Generally on Pohela Boishakh, people bath early in the morning and
Dress in well clothes. Most of women and girls wear “Sari”, which
color is mixed up with red and white and beautify themselves with
Churi, Ful and Tip and most of the man and boys dress in “Panjabi”,
Pajama, Lungi, Dhuti and Kurta, which color is also varied up with red
and white. They spend much of the day visiting relatives, friends, and
neighbors and going to fair. Fairs are arranged in many parts of the
country. Various agriculture products, traditional handcrafts, toys
cosmetic, as well as various kinds of food and sweets and most
special dish ‘Panta ilish’ are sold at these fairs. The fair also provide

with singers,dancers and traditional plays and songs. Horse races,

bull races, bull fights,cockfights, flying pigeons, boat racing were
once popular. In the rural area, generally the fair is held in the open
place or on the bank of a river or a canal

In dhaka city,Ramna batamul is the center around wich New Year

celebration has spread around the city and gradually across the
country. This festival contains exibition, music, poetry, crafts,
photography, theatre etc. in the urban area.

Nowadays, Pohela Boishakh festivity is not only in Bangladesh but it

celebrates in lots of countries in Asia. However, Bangladesh
Boishakhi carnival celebrates in Australia, Sweden and UK. Though, in
UK, Boishakhi festivity takes place on street as Boishakhi Carnival
which is the biggest Asian carnival in Europe. On the other hand,
Bangladeshi society in Sweden rejoice this festival with full of
pleasure. They bring out this festival road journey and move to
dissimilar street. Now, Pohela Boishakh celebrations also erase a day
of cultural unity without difference between class and religious
affiliations. It is a national holiday celebrated around April 14
according to the official amended calendar designed by the Bangla
Academy.