Poila Boishakh 1429: Bengalis across the world celebrate the first day of the Bengali calendar with great fanfare. People wear new clothes, make a trip to the temple, exchange ‘Shubho Noboborsho’ or ‘Poila Boishakh’ greetings, partake in traditional Bengali feasts, and enjoy cultural evenings to mark the daylong festivities.
The lunisolar calendar, which decides the Bengali new year date, enters the year 1429 this year. This year, Bengalis in India will celebrate Poila Boishakh on April 15.
Poila Boishakh, also called Pohela Boishakh, is a big day in Bangladesh too where a procession marks the day every year. Bangladesh, however, celebrates the day on April 14 every year.
History Of Bengali Calendar
Most states in India follow the Hindu Vikrami calendar that started in 57 BCE. The Bengali calendar, however, starts from 594 CE.
According to ‘Historical Dictionary of the Bengalis’, by Kunal Chakrabarti and Shubhra Chakrabarti, the Bengali calendar is based on Surya Siddhanta, a Sanskrit text on astronomy, and the beginning of it is said to be from 12 or 14 April, 594 CE.
King Shashanka of ancient Bengal is credited with introducing the calendar, which Mughal emperor Akbar modified in 1556, apparently to ease the tax collection process. Previously, taxes were collected according to the Islamic Hijri (lunar) calendar, which did not match the solar agricultural cycles in this part of the world, making it difficult for farmers to pay taxes during a non-harvest season.
According to the book, the new calendar became an amalgamation of the lunar Islamic calendar and the solar Hindu calendar.
Bengalis still use the same calendar, according to which the new year date changes every year, varying between April 14 and April 15, because the number of days in a month is determined by the actual motion of the Sun through the zodiac.
Why Bangladesh Celebrates Bengali New Year On April 14
Bangladesh modified this calendar in 1966. A committee headed by Muhammad Shahidullah was formed to suggest changes in the Bengali calendar to make it more precise, like the Gregorian calendar.
Accordingly, the Bengali calendar followed in Bangladesh now has the first five months — Boishakh, Jyoishtho, Ashadh, Shrabon, Bhadra — spanning 31 days. The next seven months — Ashwin, Kartik, Agrohayon, Poush, Magh, Falgun and Chaitra — have 30 days each, but the month of Falgun gets an extra day in every leap year of the Gregorian calendar.
Ever since the change, Poila Boishakh has been celebrated on April 14 in Bangladesh.