পহেলা বৈশাখ " বাঙালির কাছে বিশেষ দিন

     "পহেলা বৈশাখ " বাঙালির কাছে বিশেষ দিন 


             Today's ( 15.04.18 ) doodle marks Pohela Boishakh, the first day of the Bengali Calendar. While Pohela Boishakh is a lively festival today, its origins are less fanciful. The Bengali calendar year was developed over 400 years ago by the Emperor Akbar as a way to collect taxes on a specific date every year. When the new year begins, accountants can close their books on the previous year and start fresh.

On this day in Bangladesh, the country comes alive with colorful celebrations and parades. Cities and towns gather together to sing traditional songs like "Esho, he Boishakh" . The main attraction in the capital city of Dhaka is the large Mangal Shobhajatra procession. The streets fill up with a parade of huge masks and creatures, each with its own symbolism, but many meant to drive away evil spirits or inspire courage and peace. The masks are often vibrant and imaginative representations of animals native to Bangladesh .
          

     New Year celebrations may have in January for the people around the world. But people in many parts of India are gearing up to celebrate regional new years with equal zeal and enthusiasm. Bengalis not just in West Bengal, Tripura and the surrounding areas, but around the globe will welcome their new year — 1425, this year on April 15. Also known as Poila Baishak or Pohela Boishakh, the new year or Naba Barsha is marked on the first day in the month of Baishak, according to the lunisolar calendar. Thus, the grand festival coincides with the other regional festivals like Bohag Bihu in Assam, Vishu in Kerala and Puthandu in Tamil Nadu.

The festival is widely celebrated in neighbouring Bangladesh as well, marking it one of the biggest event and the only secular festival in the country.

         Shubho Noboborsho! (Happy New Year!)
   

এসো, এসো, এসো হে বৈশাখ

তাপসনিশ্বাসবায়ে মুমূর্ষুরে দাও উড়ায়ে,
বৎসরের আবর্জনা দূর হয়ে যাক
যাক পুরাতন স্মৃতি, যাক ভুলে যাওয়া গীতি,
অশ্রুবাষ্প সুদূরে মিলাক।
মুছে যাক গ্লানি, ঘুচে যাক জরা,
অগ্নিস্নানে শুচি হোক ধরা
রসের আবেশরাশি শুষ্ক করি দাও আসি,
আনো আনো আনো তব প্রলয়ের শাঁখ

মায়ার কুজ্ঝটিজাল যাক দূরে যাক।

                                                                             - Rabindranath tagore