How to celebrate Poila Baisakh with a true friend

On Poila Baisakh, Goddess Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth, and Lord Ganesh are worshiped. Traders perform the halkhata ceremony that marks the advent of the Bengali New Year. All shops are decorated with flowers and one will notice stringed fresh lemons and chilies hanging in front of shops. This is used to ward off the evil eye.

Shopkeepers, businessmen and traders close the old accounts and open a new one. People visit their favorite shop during the day to wish them luck for the year ahead. Traders welcome customers on this day with sweets.

In Bengali houses, Naba Barsa is noted for the special elaborate alpanas or rangolis. Women make it a point to buy a new sari or saree for Poila Baisakh, especially a white sari with red border. Traders popularly call the sale of new clothes during Naba Barsha as ‘Chaitra Sales.’

No Hindu festival is complete without the mouthwatering cuisines. And Bengali prepare both Vegetarian and non-Vegetarian dishes for Poila Baisakh.

I do also celebrate Poila boishakh but in a foody way, eating delicious Bengali food like Basanti polao, kochi panthar jhol, chingri malaikari, Tel Koi, Kosha Murgir mansho, Bengali Masoor Dal, Kancha Amer Chutney,