Pohela Boishakh
Bengali new year / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Pohela Boishakh (Bengali: পহেলা বৈশাখ))[n 1] is the Bengali New Year celebrated on 14 April in Bangladesh and 15 April in the Indian[2] states of West Bengal, Tripura, Jharkhand and Assam (Goalpara and Barak Valley). It is a festival based on the spring harvest—which marks the first day of the new year in the official calendar of Bangladesh.[3][4][5][6]
Pohela Boishakh (পহেলা বৈশাখ) | |
---|---|
Official name | Pohela Boishakh[1] |
Also called | Pahela Baishak, Pahela Boishak, Poila Boishakh (পয়লা বৈশাখ) |
Observed by | Bengalis |
Type | Social, cultural and national festival |
Celebrations | Boishakhi Mela (fair), gift-giving, visiting relatives and friends, songs, dance |
Date | 14 April (Bangladesh) 15 April (India) |
Frequency | Annual |
Related to | South and Southeast Asian solar New Year |
The Pohela Boishakh has its origins in the Mughal Empire, representing the proclamation of tax collection reforms under Akbar.[7] Its celebration is rooted in the traditions of the Mahifarash community of Old Dhaka.[8][9] 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 is শুভ নববর্ষ "Shubho Noboborsho" which is literally "Happy New Year". The festive Mangal Shobhajatra is organised in Bangladesh. In 2016, the UNESCO declared this festivity organised by the Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Dhaka as a cultural heritage of humanity.[10]