Pohela Boishakh
Bengali new year / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Pohela Boishakh (Bengali: পহেলা বৈশাখ)[n 1] is the first day of the Bengali calendar which is also the official calendar of Bangladesh. This festival is celebrated on 14 April in Bangladesh and 15 April in the Indian[2] states of West Bengal, Tripura, Jharkhand and Assam (Barak Valley) by Bengalis regardless of religious faith.[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 |
Celebration of Pohela Boishakh traces its roots to the traditions of Old Dhaka's Muslim community during Mughal rule,[7][8] as well as the proclamation of tax collection reforms of Akbar.[9]
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]