Sending Gifts across India on Bengali's New Year

Bengali New Year is also popularly referred to as Poila Boisakh and is celebrated with much fanfare among the Bengali community in India. It is the major day in the life of Bengalis which marks the first day of the Bengali calendar. The day is celebrated with much enthusiasm both in Bangladesh and West Bengal and also in some of the Bengali communities residing in Tripura and Assam.

This day is declared as the state holiday and comes every year around April 14th. People wait for this day to arrive all the year when they buy new clothes, gifts, household accessories and others. People buy expensive gifts and hand it over to their relatives and friends during this time. In the capital city of West Bengal, Kolkata this is considered an ideal time for marriage. On this particular day people celebrate by wearing new clothes and send congratulatory messages to each other through post or mobiles.

Before the beginning of the Boisakh month comes the Choitro month which marks the end of the Bengali year and during this shops give heavy discounts on the original price and sell them at reduced rates.

Bengali New Year day is celebrated by participating in cultural programs and eating in restaurants or preparing delicious dishes at home only. Bengalis offer prayer towards the success and well being of their family members. Mostly the young women dress up in saris (white with red border) and the men in traditional dhuti and kurta. This is essentially to attend the processions which take place in order to celebrate first day of the year.

Even businessman and entrepreneurs initiate new ventures on this auspicious day. There is a new beginning for the Bengalis as well the businesses for the Bengali traders as they open a new accounting book on this particular day. It is referred to as Halkhata and puja is offered for it.

This is the ideal time for fairs taking place in different regions throughout the state. The main activity is centered around the metropolitan city Kolkata. The Bengal Sangit Mela is held around this time in major places in the city and thousands flock to witness it.

Since Dhaka is closely related to Bengal, the Bengali New Year festival is also celebrated there with same enthusiasm and zeal. This is the time when the home is cleaned well and people take early bath in the morning to wear new clothes. Most of the day is spent visiting the friends and relatives and preparing special foods to feast on it.