Bengali New Year/ Bengali Calendar

On 15th April 2006, Bengalis all over the world celebrated their New Year. And like any other bengalis I wished my bengali friends SHUBHO NOBO BORSHO (Happy New Year)

পহেলা বৈশাখ

And my friend Uma had questions about the Bengali Calendar. Which got me thinking? Wouldn't it if one suddenly realized that in the year 2006 the bengali year was 1413 ?

Will I think the answer lies somewhere in the way the Bengali Calendar evolved.

The calendar was originally known as Tarikh-e-Elahi and it was introduced on the 10th or the 11th March in the 29th year of Akbar's reign i.e. in 1585 A. D. It , however, dates from the day of Akbar's ascension to the throne of Delhi and commemorates his coronation as the Emperor of India in 1556.

The months of the new Bengali Era (or Tarikh-e-Elahi) were initially known as Karwadin, Ardi, 'Vihisu, Khordad, Teer, Amardad, Shahriar, Aban, Azur, Dai, Baham and Iskander Miz. Nobody knows for sure how and when we started naming the months as Baishakh, Jaishtha, etc.

It is presumed that these months, based on the names of the stars, were derived from the Shakabda which was introduced in 78 A.D. to commemorate the reign of the Shaka dynasty in this subcontinent.

Some claim inadvertently that the Bangla calendar was introduced by Shashanka, king of Bengal, to commemorate his conquest of Assam. But records testify to the fact the Shashanka, son of Maha Sengupta, conquered Benaras and moved towards Chilka lake and never towards Assam.

Nababarsha or Pahela Baishakh (Ist of Baishak) was also introduced by Akbar .

After introducing Tarikh-e-Elahi, he abolished the hitherto practised Muslim festivals and replaced them by 14 new festivals, one of which was Nawroze or the celebration of the New Year's Day.

The star-based names of the months were derived as follows:

1. Baishakh from the star known as Bishakha
2. Jiashthya from Jaishtha
3. Ashara from Shar
4. Sraban from Srabani
5. Bhadra from Bhadrapada
6. Ashwin from Aswaini
7. Kartik from Kartika
8. Agrahayon from Agraihon
9. Poush from Poushya
10. Magh from Magha
11. Falgun from Falguni,
12. Chaitra from Chitra .

Food and New Year

Any Bengali occasion and there is food associated with it. Bengalis are big foodies. So why should the new year stay away?

Hilsa rules. This bony fish is a bengali favourite . An average bengali is always looking out for an excuse to eat Hilsa. In Bengal, they call it Ilish.

Hilsa or Ilish belongs to the species Tenualosa of the family Clupeidae, order Clupeiformes. Shad or Herring are a near relative of hilsa. Locally known as Ilish, the fish is an addiction of Bengalis especially to those who originated from Bangladesh.

Hilsa is a Pariah fish. Though basically a marine fish it thrives in estuarine and riverine environments. The fish is found in the Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, Vietnam Sea and China Sea. Their habitat covers the Satil Arab, and the Tigris and Euphrates of Iran and Iraq, the Indus of Pakistan, the rivers of Eastern India, the Irawaddy of Myanmar, and the Padma, Jamuna, Meghna, Karnafully and other coastal rivers of Bangladesh. It swims upstream as the inland stretches of these rivers are the breeding grounds for the fish. In West Bengal Hilsa is available in five regions - from Farakka to Konnagor, in the sweet water region; Konnagor to Diamondharbour, in the slope of Ganges; from Diamondharbour to Sandhead, in the distributaries region of Bay of Bengal. Besides hilsa is also available in Matla and Rupnarayan River.


In the sea the fish remains short and thin, and does not taste good. As it enters the inland rivers, both its size and taste increase. The fish is anadromous, with a life cycle that follows the general pattern of breeding upstream in fresh water and the larvae hatching from the free-floating eggs. The immature young stages grow in river channels and then descend to the sea. This is the period of feeding and growth before returning to the rivers as mature breeding adults to complete the cycle, unless misfortune tends them to turn into a delicious item in the average Bengali dish.

Immature hilsa fish (6-10 cm), known as khoka, are extensively caught during their seaward migration in some of the major rivers of the India and Bangladesh. Although hilsas reproduce more or less throughout the year, they have a minor breeding season during February-March and a major season in August-October. It is for this reason hilsa is also a seasonal fish. Monsoon with pitter-patter raindrops or Ilshe-guri in Bengali, with eastern wind and cloud in sky marks migration of hilsa.

Bengalis are still entangled in its love even in this age of changing trends. To some the variety of Ganges is tastier than that of Padma as it is more sweet and soft to taste. While a large section of Bengalis especially those who emigrated from Bangladesh are blind fans of the Padma variety. Keep aside the taste the nostalgia mingles with it. But how come the present generation shares the taste without nostalgia is a question.


Particularly in the rainy season hilsa is considered one of the best delicacies on Bengali menu. There are many preparations of this fish. Taken fried, or with soup (jhol), baked folded in banana leaf (paturi) or steamed with mustard (bhape) it goes well with khichuri, as well as with panta or watered rice. In the traditional protocol of Bengali entertainment, serving hilsa to very near, dear and honored guests for lunch or dinner is almost an obligation. Without this all other items, however rich those may be, are considered inadequate.

Going back to the new year , varieties of Hilsa are eaten -hilsha polau, mustard hilsha, hilsha korma, sour hilsha, fry hilsha, vegetable hilsha, hilsha smash and much more.

Then there is Pithey ( or Pitha or Pithey). Most pithas are sweet and a few are served hot. Some are made throughout the year but some are seasonal. Pithas of the winter season are the most delicious. Date juice and molasses from date juice and sugarcane are available in the winter, the pithas taste wonderful with this combination.

The most common ingredients of pitha are rice or wheat flour, molasses or sugar, coconut and oil. Meat and vegetables are also used in preparing some pithas such as the pooli pitha, shabji (vegetable) pitha, bhapa (steamed), jhal (hot as in spicy hot) patishapta and mangsha (meat) patishapta. Sometimes fruits (mostly, jackfruit, palmyra, coconut and banana) are also used. These pithas are named after the name of the fruit they are made from. A special category of pitha is prepared by using tree leaves as covers and are named pata (leaves) pitha. Some pithas are named according to their size. A big size pitha is called Hadi pitha, while one of the small types of pitha is named khejur (date) pitha.

Varieties of Pithas

The link here has recipies for pithas and Ilish.

In Kolkata, Poila 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 socializing.

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.

Pôhela 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.
Pôhela 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 swastiks 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.

Pôhela 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.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL