BAISAKHI FESTIVAL (PUNJABI NEW YEAR) & POILA BAISAKH FESTIVAL (BENGALI NEW YEAR)

BAISAKHI FESTIVAL (PUNJABI NEW YEAR)

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POILA BAISAKH FESTIVAL (BENGALI NEW YEAR)

Baisakhi Festival (Punjabi New Year)

Baisakhi (also Vaisakhi, Vaishakhi) Festival is mainly celebrated in North India as the “Punjabi New Year”. The day of Baisakhi is considered one of the most important days among the Punjabi community. The Sikh people start the celebration by visiting the Gurdwara. It is also celebrated by other people.

It is celebrated on the first day of Vaisakh, which generally falls on the 13th or 14th April every year.

New Year: Punjabis celebrate this festival as Punjabi New Year. One the same day, the Bengali New Year (Poila Baisakh) and Bhogali Bihu is celebrated.  Baisakhi is a time for reunion of friends and families. Elders bless the younger generation. People also distribute food and clothes to the poor people.

Joyful festival of Baisakhi is celebrated with lot of charm and gusto in the vibrant state of Punjab. People perform set Baisakhi customs and traditions for the day with sincerity and devotion. Since Baisakhi is celebrated as the birth of Guru Gobind Singh - the Tenth Sikh Guru and the foundation day of Khalsa Panth, major activities for the festival are centred on gurdwaras - the Sikh place of worship.

At a gurdwara, the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of Sikhs is ceremonially taken out and is given a symbolical bath with milk and water. After these simple rituals, Guru Granth Sahib is placed on its throne with care. The book is then read out to the followers gathered in the gurdwara.

Just as on a Baisakhi Day ceremony held in 1699 under the guidance of Guru Gobind Singh where Panch Pyaras or the Five beloved ones chanted verses, five priests going by that name chant verses recited by the five originals. Similarly, just as Guru Gobind Singh Ji had used amrita prepared in an iron vessel to bless the panch pyare, even to this date amrit or holy nectar is prepared in an iron vessel and is distributed amongst all gathered after the chanting of sacred verses. As a tradition, devotees sip amrita five times and take a vow to work for the brotherhood, the Khalsa Panth. Religious songs (kirtans) are sung after the amrit is drunk for the spiritual upliftment of those gathered.

Harvest Festival : Baisakhi is a harvest festival.  This auspicious day is very important for the farmers.  They offer thanks to God and pray for the good crops in the future.

At noon, after the Baisakhi ardas, the Karah Prasad or sweetened semolina is offered to the guru for his blessings. It is then distributed to the congregation. The ceremony culminates with a special guru-ka-langar or the community lunch. People sit in rows with their heads covered as volunteers serve them with vegetarian meal.

Dance: People of all ages wear new clothes and gather together to perform dance. This form of dance is popularly known as Bhangra.  Besides India, the festival is celebrated by Punjabis across the Globe.

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Poila Boishakh and it's Significance - With Best Wishes of Bangla New Year

Poila Boishakh (Bengali:Pôhela Boishakh or Pôela Boishakh) is the first day of the Bangla Calendar. Poila Boishakh is celebrated in a festive manner in both Bangladesh and West Bengal, as well as by Bengali people in Tripura. Hence, Poila Boishakh connects all ethnic Bengalis irrespective of religious and regional differences. In Bangladesh, Poila Boishakh is a national holiday and in West Bengal it is a public holiday. It falls on April 14 or April 15 of the Gregorian calendar depending on the use of the new amended or the old Bangla calendar respectively. In Bangladesh, it is celebrated on April 14 according to the official amended calendar designed by the Bangla Academy.

Bangalees live on hope and rely on dream! Whatever the situation may be, Bangalee always dreams for a better and more prosperous future. Every year Bengali New Year brings new hope and dreams for the people of Bangladesh. People living in both rural and urban areas celebrates the first day of the Bangla calendar, that is, 'Pohela Boishakh' with due festivity and flavour. May the new Bengali Year 1415 see translation of our hopes and dreams into reality and gift us peace and prosperity!

Bangla Noboborsho Shobar Jonno Shuvo Hok!

Significance:  It is basically a harvest festival that celebrates the beginning of crop cycle in Bengal.

Calcutta Poila Boishakh festival is basically a harvest festivity that marks the beginning of the crop cycle in Bengal. It takes place in the first month of the Bengali calendar, Baisakh (April). Poila Baisakh is celebrated with magnificent grandeur. The first day of the month of Baisakh is known as Poila Baisakh and is celebrated as the Bengali New Year. It is on this day that wherever you go, you are offered yummy sweets.

Poila Boishakh festival of Kolkata, India witneses the inauguration of the new books of accounts by the traders. This month is considered auspicious for the purpose of marriage and starting a new venture. The month of baisakh marks the beginning of agricultural activities. Bengalis are of the belief that children born in this month are likely to possess the qualities of a genius. The perfect example is that of Rabindranath Tagore who was born on the 25th in the month of baisakh.

People dress up in their best apparels and share joyous moments with friends and family. Houses are not only cleaned thoroughly, but also beautifully decorated. Women make awesome rangolis at the entrance of house. On this festivity, cultural programs are held. People greet each other and exchange sweets. Prayers are conducted to seek the divine blessings.

In Kolkata, Pôila Boishakh (and indeed the entire month of Boishakh) is considered to be an auspicious time for marriages. This day people wear new clothes and go about socialising. Choitro, the last month of the previous year, is the month of hectic activities and frantic purchases. Garment traders organize a Choitro sale and sell the garments with heavy discounts.

Poila Boishakh is the day for cultural programmes. Prayers are offered for the well-being and prosperity of the family. Young ladies clad in white saris with red borders and men clad in dhuti and kurta take part in the Probhat Pheri processions early in the morning to welcome the first day of the year.

This day being auspicious, new businesses and new ventures are started. The Mahurat is performed, marking the beginning of new ventures.

Poila Boishakh is the beginning of all business activities in Bengal. The traders purchase new accounting books called halkhata. The accounting in the halkhata begins only after offering puja. Mantras are chanted and swastika are drawn on the accounting book by the priests. Long queues of devotees are seen in front of the Kalighat temple from late night.

Devotees offer puja to receive the blessings of the almighty.

Poila Baishakh bears immense significance in the life of all Bengalis. It marks as a new beginning, a new hope, a year full of joy, well-being and prosperity.

In Bangladesh, the most colourful New Year's Day festival takes place in Dhaka. Many people gather early in the morning under the banyan tree at Ramna Park; here the Chhayanat artists open the day with Rabindranath Tagore's famous song, "Esho, he Baishakh, Esho, Esho" (Come, O Baishakh, Come, Come). A similar ceremony welcoming the New Year is also held at the Institute of Fine Arts, University of Dhaka. Students and teachers take out a colourful procession and parade round the campus. This day is celebrated with cultural programmes by many social and cultural organisations.

In the United Kingdom, Poila Baishakh is celebrated with a street festival in London. It is the largest Asian festival in Europe and the largest Bengali festival outside India and Bangladesh. The Hindu communities in India, where the holiday is called Baisakhi, also celebrate the beginning the Spring and the end of the harvest season on Pohela Baishakh. Vaisakhi is celebrated by the Sikhs because it is the birth of the Sikh order of the Khalsa. Vaisakhi is also called Rongali Bihu in Assam, Puthandu in Tamil Nadu and Pooram Vishnu in Kerala.

So, here's wishing you and your

family a "Shubho Noboborsho"!

Parsan Narang

Kolkata

11th April 2016