Bengali New Year and some old reforms

BY A STAFF REPORTER: Bengali New Year is an important cultural festival for Bengalis spread across the world, including West Bengal. This day is celebrated with due enthusiasm and enthusiasm following traditional customs. Starting from cleaning the houses on the occasion of Poyala Baishakh, dressing up in new clothes, exchanging greetings with relatives, cooking, fairs and observing religious rituals - all together, the day becomes colorful and memorable.

This year, Bengali New Year, i.e. Poyala Baishakh, will be celebrated on 15 April 2025. The Bengali year 1432 will begin from this day. On the day of Poyala Baishakh, the Bihu festival will also be celebrated in Assam, as a result of which the people of the two states will celebrate two important cultural days together.

On this special day, various rituals and rituals are seen in Bengali homes. After taking a bath, people wear new clothes, worship Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha. The day is important for the business community, because on this day they open new account books 'Halkhata'. Special pujas and distribution of prasad are organized in many places.

In addition, in different parts of Bengal, the custom of bathing cows, applying tilak, feeding them food and performing cow puja is also followed on the first day of Baishakh. Traditional Baisakhi fairs are held in some places. There is also a tradition of worshipping clouds on the day after the New Year, so that there is good rainfall and good crop yield - this belief is very old.