Why we celebrate
Pohela Boishakh is the Bengali New Year, a festival of joy, music and the traditional meal of panta bhat (watered rice).
Bengali solar calendar tradition
Festival Profile
Pohela Boishakh
Bengali New Year, celebrated with panta bhat, music and processions.
Pohela Boishakh is the Bengali New Year, a festival of joy, music and the traditional meal of panta bhat (watered rice).
When
Pohela Boishakh falls on the first day of the Bengali month of Boishakh (mid-April).
Since when it is followed
The Bengali calendar and its new year date to the 16th century; the festival has been observed since then.
Bengali calendar tradition
Who celebrates / for whom
Celebrated by Bengalis in West Bengal, Bangladesh and worldwide.
Origin
The origin is the Bengali solar calendar introduced by Emperor Akbar in the 16th century, marking the harvest new year.
Bengali calendar (16th century)
Key deities
Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha are worshipped in the new-year puja; the day honours the merchant god of trade.
How to celebrate
Take a bath, perform the new-year puja, eat panta bhat with fish and vegetables, and join cultural processions.
Rituals & offerings
Panta bhat meal, halud (turmeric) new-year rituals, and the Mangal Shobhajatra (procession).
Key facts
Pohela Boishakh is a major festival in Bangladesh and West Bengal.
Regional tradition