Today is April 14, Pohela Boishakh—the Bengali New Year and a festival that lives in the soul of every Bangali. Each year, this day brings to our hearts a unique vibrancy and emotional atmosphere—promising new beginnings, cleansing of past burdens, and hopeful expectations for the days ahead.
This Boishakh, soaked in the scent of Bengal’s soil, seems to call us every year—“Come, O Boishakh, come, come!”
The Bengali New Year begins at a time when the fiery end of spring gives way to the generous bounty of summer. Nature becomes full of delicious, colorful fruits—mangoes, blackberries, jackfruits, lychees—all beginning to ripen from green buds.
Pohela Boishakh thus symbolizes transformation—not only in nature but also within our inner world, our time, and our society. Boishakh means welcoming the new, wiping away old wounds, and stepping into fresh possibilities.
As Rabindranath Tagore wrote: “Let the gloom be erased, let decay be washed away, may the world be purified in the fire’s cleansing bath.”
This call is not just about a change in seasons—it is a call for inner purification, a sign of cultural rebirth. And so, the thunderous appeal in the poet’s line—"Shake off the call, O mighty Boishakh!"—still resonates today.
The world now passes through unrest—war, climate crisis, instability, and social division surround us. At such a time, Bengali New Year teaches us to reflect anew—it shows us the need for unity.
As the global storm of disruption rages, echoing the spirit of Kazi Nazrul Islam’s Proloyollas, the poet proclaims, “Raise the cheers of victory! The flag of the new flutters in the storm of Kal-Boishakhi!”
Around this time, New Year festivals are also celebrated in various regions of the Indian subcontinent. These celebrations carry the influence of the Persian Nowruz.
The Mughals, through Iranian traditions, introduced the New Year to India. The impact of Nowruz is also visible in parts of Central Asia like Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, where the New Year is known as Nowruz and is celebrated on March 22.
When Meghnad Saha reformed the Indian calendar, March 22 was declared as the beginning of the new year based on the Shaka calendar. Following that, in Indonesia’s Bali and Java regions, New Year is celebrated on March 26 according to this calendar.
One might ask—why is there a one-day difference between the Bengali New Year in West Bengal and Bangladesh? In Bangladesh, under the initiative of Bangla Academy, Dr. Muhammad Shahidullah reformed the Bengali calendar following the scientific method proposed by Meghnad Saha. Later, for a more complete reform, the Bangla Academy formed a task force that officially declared April 14 as the first day of the Bengali New Year or Pohela Boishakh.
Outside India, Thailand’s New Year Songkran is celebrated from April 13 to 15. Overall, New Year is observed in many Asian countries between March and April. The Bengali New Year is a sign that we are part of a vast oceanic current. This ancient calendar has become an inseparable part of Bengali identity.
Indeed, Bengali New Year reminds us that we are part of a greater flow. It tells us that we are not separate. Whether or not it affects our daily lives today, it is a part of our heritage.
And through that heritage, we can come to know ourselves. Knowing ourselves is just as important as knowing others. Noboborsho—the Bengali New Year—helps us in that journey of self-discovery.
Now is the time for harmony and brotherhood. May all be blessed. Shubho Noboborsho—Happy Bengali New Year!
