Thursday, April 14, 2016

Poila Baishak : Bengali New Year

Shubho Noboborsho to all my friends



Today we celebrate "Poila Baishakh" or the beginning of the new year as per the Bengali Calendar.
It is really an auspicious day for the Bengali people. I still remember while I was a kid when I really don't know the meaning of this day will only think that it is a day when you have to wear new clothes and visit every shops and collect sweet box and the Bengali calendar. As a kid, it was a day when my Dad will be going to office wearing the Traditional Kurta Pajama and will return early carrying a big packet of sweets.

There is another term that instantly comes in our mind if you think of Poila Baishak and that is "Chaitra Sale". Every person living there waits for this when there will be huge collections of almost every commodity to be sold in a much cheaper rate.
I hope anyone who stays in South Kolkata definitely know the famous "Gariahat Chaitro Sale".This place becomes the most crowded area during the sale season. Oh! how pathetic the condition becomes there. It looks like a mad crowd running allover for getting several commodities for their need. But there is a unusual charm in this. I just love walking along the streets looking at those hurried people. The area becomes so colorful and bright. Those famous slogans "SALE, SALE" sounds so magical.

Till date my mom buys clothes for almost every member in our family, a tradition she is following inherited from my grandmother and so on. Just before this day she will be roaming around the streets and purchasing clothes for me,my Dad and now after my marriage my husband.
She even gifts clothes to our maid, our dhobi, our neighbor aunt and many more.

Then on this day we will be dressing up with our new attire and will be going out. Usually we will be having our dinner outside and will visit few shops. There is a ritual that we follow, if you visit any shop you have to buy something, it can be a small token gift. It is called as "Hal Khatha" or the introduction of the new financial record book. Each and every shop will decorated with flowers and you will cordially invited on this day.

Though this is the season of tiring heat but still we enjoy it with lots of excitement and enthusiasm.
Now away from the city I miss the flavor of this day, though I try hard to maintain the same flavor here.

Wishing every one in Kolkata A great day ahead.

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