Poila Baishakh, ushering a new beginning

Kolkata, April 14 The mood was of celebration and the view colourful. It was Poila Baishakh — the first day of the Bengali New Year — and everyone from old to young and rich to poor wanted it to be special. On Monday, people wearing new dresses either visited their friends or relatives or went to multi-plexes or temples. While some preferred home-cooked food with loved ones, others preferred to go out to enjoy the vast range of meals offered by different hotels. “We are having a family lunch on Poila Baishakh. It is one holiday when all of us get together to spend some quality time with each other,” said Indrakshi Sengupta, a bank officer.

The day had become all the more special this time due to Ram Navami, which was celebrated on the same day.

Two places in the city saw the biggest rush — the temples and eateries. People thronged to temples in huge numbers as they wanted the blessing of the Almighty before kicking-off the new year. Kalighat had a footfall of almost nine lakh today.

“The number of devotees is much higher this year, especially because Ram Navami is also being celebrated today. Special security arrangements have been made to pre-empt any untoward incident,” said Ajoy Banerjee, a senior panda (priest).

For the entire month, preceding Poila Baishakh, there is “chaitra sale” or year-end sale in the markets. The sale usually ends on the day preceding the New Year.

For Bengali shopkeepers, the ‘haal khaata,’ (new book of accounts) for the new financial year is opened on this day and they worship Lakshmi and Ganesh for good luck and prosperity. Patrons of the store are usually invited for a treat. They also purchase things as it is believed to bring good luck to the storekeeper.

Vendors also make a lot of profit on this day as the vegetables and fruits are overpriced.