When is the Bengali New Year 2009 or Poila Baishakh 2009? Poila Baishak 2009 will fall on April 15th.

Poila Baishakh or Nabo Barsha (“Nabo” means new and “barsha” means year) is the New Year day for Bengali Hindus in West Bengal (India) and Bangladesh. It is celebrated on the first day of Baishak (and so is the name) and marks the beginning of crop cycle.

How is Poila Baishakh or Nabo Barsha Celebrated?

Traditionally, Bengalis welcome their New Year with beautiful alpanas (Rangolis). In the center of the alpana, a kalas filled with water and mango leaves is placed, which symbolizes prosperity. Worship of Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesh along with a holy dip in the river Ganga or in any other water body is must in Poila Baishakh. Women decorate their houses with flowers as Baishakh  is the month of flowers in Bengal.

The day of Bengali New Year starts with Prabhat Pheries or early morning processions. In the procession, women in white saris with red borders and men in white dhoti and kurta shirt perform songs and dances. Various cultural programs are also organized on the occasion of Poila Baishakh. Grand Nabo Barsha celebration is also held in Shantiniketan or Vishva-Bharati where people assemble to watch Rabindrasangeet, dances and baishakhi fair. In Bangladesh, the day of Poila Baishakh is a national holiday. On this day, people wish “Shubho Nabo Barsho” to everyone they meet.

For the Bengali business communities, Poila Baishakh is the day of opening of fresh ledgers or book of accounts, “Haalkhata”. The khata is bound in red cloth and the sign of “Swastik” is drawn on it. Customers are asked to clear their previous dues before the New Year day. In turn, after performing puja, shop keepers and traders welcome their customers and express their gratitude with sweets, drinks and calendars. As a show of confidence and goodwill, customers also pay a token amount to the traders and shopkeepers.

To Bengalis, no celebration is complete without food.  So, the day of New Year is also the day to eat out. Restaurants and hotels compete with each other to attract customers with mouth-watering traditional Bengali delicacies. Some of the famous Bengali New Year dishes  are – Echorer dalna, chingri macher malaikari, macher kalia, tel koi, chatni … the list is endless! No wonder, when it comes to food it is hard to beat Bengalis… can feel my own mouth watering!

Wish you all a very prosperous, peaceful and happy Bengali New Year 2009!

Also, Shubho Nabo Barsho 2009 to all food lovers!