Bengalis generally, celebrate this new year popularly called "Poila Baisakh" in the month of mid April every year. This is the first day for the beginning of the "Baisakhi" month in the Bengali calendar and bid good-bye to the "Chaitra".

How people of Bengal celebrate this day?

Bengali's celebrate this day in a grand way. This is celebrated as Bengali New Year, which is called "Poila Baisakh". "Poila" which in Bengali means "first" and "baisakh" means the "first month in the Bengali calender". On this day people of Bengal and Bangladesh, wear new clothes. Share sweets among their friends and relatives, greet each other, and touched the feet of their elders to get the blessing from them. People also exchange gifts with their near and dear ones. Many people who stay abroad try to gather on this day with their family members.

This festival is celebrated both in Bengal and in Bangladesh. It is national holiday for both Bengal and Bangladesh. People organized various functions where the schoolchildren, college students and other skilled artists in various theatres, halls and even in some local areas perform traditional music, dance and drama. People especially performed Tagore's drama, song and poem. People especially performed Rabindranath Tagore's popular song "esho hey baisakh" to welcome the New Year. Many colorful processions are taken out in the morning known as "prabhat pheris" where many people join to welcome the fresh New Year with all happiness. Before New Year, people clean their house and purchase new clothes and other new household items. On the day they wear new clothes decorated their house and visit their relatives, friends and other neighbor house to greet them with the new year wish and share sweets and gifts with them.

People attire

On this, day people wear traditional dress. The women prefer to wear Bengali sari and men wear pajama and kurta. The children wear colorful dresses. It is a simple festival of Bengal where people wear simple dress not so heavy dress they used to carry during Durga Puja festival. All of them stay happy and enjoy this day.

Celebration in other outside countries

Beside Kolkata and Bangladesh, this festival is also celebrated in abroad countries like Australia where there is a Bengali culture. The Bengali culture in Australia organize fairs in Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra where people gather and enjoy Bengali dance, art, food, music, their clothing etc. In London, also it is celebrated in a very grand way.

Fairs in Bengal

In Bengal, people celebrate this festival with some colorful fairs known as "Charak mela" and welcome the New Year and bid good-bye to "Chaitra sankranti". The "Charak Mela' is held in every corner of Bengal where different acrobatics are performed by skilled acrobats. People from far and near come to see this fair and enjoy themselves in the fairs. The participant sings various songs, beat drums and dance in circle. Many food stalls especially the stalls of "Jalebi" dipped in jaggery syrup is famous and one could find a huge rush in front of this stalls. Beside jalebi stalls many other street food stalls are also set up temporarily during these fairs. Many people sell toys and handicraft items of Bankura, Bengal and other states in these fairs. People especially children enjoy the ride on this festival where various types of swings are set up temporarily during this fair. Overall, the fairs are the main attraction of the people.

Traders Haal Khata in Bengal

As the New Year, approach the traders of Bengal opened "haal khata" i.e ledger. On this very especial day Lakshmi and Ganeshji is worshipped in almost all the shops and industries of Bengal. The regular customers are given especial invitation to attain the shops in the evening. The shops and industries are decorated beautifully with colorful lights and flower. On this day customer and the shopkeepers cleared their previous year dues and start with the new earnings. The shopkeeper gave the customers gifts and sweet boxes. Many garments seller give huge discount on this day and keep the garments on sale, which attracts many customers to purchase garments at low price. This makes both the shopkeeper and the buyer happy.

Various dishes for new year

People of Bengal are very fond of food. They cook various types of dishes. Especially when there is any occasion or any festival they will not step their foot backward. In Bengal, the people welcome the festival with the preparation of sweet because they believe that sweet makes the day sweeter. Sweets are very famous in Bengal and so the sweets shops prepare the sweets according to the liking of the customer. They made sweets such as rasgulla, sandesh, payesh, rasmalai, kalakand, chomchom, gulabjamun and other various types of special sweets. On this day, they also make sweet on which it is written in Bengali "poila baisakh". Beside the sweets, the people cooked rice and various items of fish and chicken. Many people go out to enjoy the food in some good restaurants. The guests are welcomed on this day and served with sweets and the dishes cooked in the house.

Conclusion

Bengali New Year is the day when Bengal's beauty could be seen. Everywhere Rabindra sangeet could be heard and people gathered on the road to enjoy themselves. Many young generations love to hang out with their friends and gathered near the cinema hall, parks and other market places. The restaurants are crowded with people. Children gathered in the amusement parks with their parents. Bengal once again lit up beautifully on this day. In addition, people fully enjoy themselves.