Pohela Boishakh 2023: Date, Holiday, Quotes & Wishes

Pohela Boishakh 2023, also known as Pahela Baishakh, Pahela Boishakh, Poila Baishak and many other names, is the first day of the Bengali New Year which is celebrated with great excitement and pomp. This festival is celebrated in the Indian states of West Bengal, Tripura, and Assam and also in Bangladesh. Root of this festival goes back to Mughal rule in and was associated with the proclamation of tax collection reforms of Emperor Akbar.

Important details related to Pohela Boishakh 2023 such as upcoming date, celebration, wishes, etc are discussed in this article here.

Pohela Boishakh 2023 Date

Pohela Boishakh is celebrated on every year on 15 April in the states of India. However, in Bangladesh, this festival is observed on April 14. Pohela Boishakh is otherwise known as Bengali New Year.

Holiday on Pohela Boishakh

Pohela Boishakh is observed as a public holiday in the states of West Bengal, Tripura and Assam. Public offices, schools and banks in these states will observe a day-off on the occasion of Pohela Boishakh. Many private organizations also remain close on this day. Shops, stores and other conveniences might be open for reduced hours.

History behind Pohela Boishakh

Pohela Boishakh is believed to be started as a tradition in Bengal that was introduced during the Mughal rule. Emperor Akbar was the first one to mark this day to calculate the time of tax year to the harvest called Bangabda. Akbar asked the royal astronomer Fathullah Shirazi to make a new calendar using the combination of the lunar Islamic calendar and solar Hindu calendar. This calendar was known as Fasholi shan (harvest calendar) and its first day was called Pohela Boishakh.

Pohela Boishakh Celebration

Pohela Boishakh, or Nabo Barsho as they say in Bengali, is celebrated in a very traditional manner. People meet their friends, family and relatives and greet each other by saying Shubho Nobo Borsho which means Happy New Year in Bengali. In the early morning of this festival, cultural processions, also called as Prabhat Pheri are carried out and joined by hundreds of people. In the procession, dance troupes with their performance on the songs of Rabindranath Tagore can be seen.

Shopkeepers, businessmen and traders in West Bengal also celebrate the festival of Haal Khata on this day. They complete their old ledgers and open a new one on the day of Pohela Boishakh. On this day, a traditional dish is prepared in many Bengali houses called as Panta bhat or poitabhat. It is a dish prepared by soaking rice, generally leftovers, in water overnight and is eaten with fish curries. Sweets, confectionery and other food items are also prepared on the occasion of Pohela Boishakh. People wear new clothes and visit temples of different deities, especially, Goddess Durga and her forms, and seek their blessings for a healthy and prosperous new year ahead. There is also a tradition in which people wear new red-white attire on the occasion of Pohela Boishakh. People exchange gifts with their friends and family and also perform charity work and give alms to the poor and hungry.

Pohela Boishakh 2023 Quotes & Wishes

Below here are given some new year wishes to exchange with your friends and family on the occasion of Pohela Boishakh, the Bengali New Year 2023.

Wishing you a very happy Bengali New Year! Subho Pohela Boisakh.
Hope the new year brings with itself joy and success for you. Wish you a Subho Nobo Borsho
On this new year may all your dreams and wishes come true. Subho Pohela Boisakh to you and your family!
May all sorrows are washed away by God and you get showered with the best blessings. Happy Bengali new year!
Wishing a happy and prosperous new year to you and your family. Subho Pohela Boisakh
May this year bring lots of good luck in your lives! Shubho Nabo Barsho!
Wishing you and your family a safe, healthy, and prosperous new year. Subho Pohela Boisakh
Let this year brings you peace, joy and success. Wish you a very Happy Bengali New Year.
May all the roshogullas fill your life with a lot of sweetness. Shubho Nobo Borsho!
Hope you reach new heights in your life this year! Subho Pohela Boisakh