Essay on “Naba Barsha”
Naba Barsha or ‘Nav Varsha’ in Hindi is observed as the New Year Day by Bengalis. It falls on the first day of the month of Baislak, the first month of the Bengali Year. In Bangladesh, it is known as the Poila Baisakh and is celebrated as a national holiday.
The day prior to Naba Barsha is celebrated with great enthusiasm by the Bengalis. It is a festival of gaiety and colour. Songs, dances, regional games, kite-flying, ox fighting or reciting of poems are the dominant activities of the days. To give a grand reception to the New Year, people decorate houses and women draw rangoli in front of their houses. Each and every house contains designs like Alpana’, drawn by powdered rice.
People take a dip in a nearby river. Ladies dress themselves in sari and men in dhoti kurta and actively participate in Prabhat pheries. This day is the beginning of all business activities in Bengal. Customers are expected to pay their dues. People wish each other ‘Shubho Nabo Barsha’ (Happy New Year).
