Pahela Baishakh first day of the Bangla calendar.
Pahela Baishakh is celebrated in a festive manner in both Bangladesh and West Bengal.
In Bangladesh, Pahela Baishakh is a national holiday. The day falls on April 14 or 15.
But how many of us know the actual story behind this day?!
Under the Mughals, land taxes were collected according to the Arabic or Hijri calendar.
However, as the Hijri calendar is a lunar calendar,
the agricultural year does not coincide with that of the fiscal.
As a result, farmers felt hard-pressed to pay taxes out of season.
In order to streamline the land tax system, the Mughal Emperor Akbar ordered a reform of the calendar.
Accordingly, Fatehullah Shirazi, a renowned scholar, and astronomer
formulated the Bangla year on the basis of the lunar Hijri and Bangla solar calendars. The new Fasli San (crop year) was introduced on
10/11 March 1584, but was dated from Akbar's accession to the throne in 1556.
The new year subsequently became known as 'Bangabda' or Bangla year.
Celebrations of Pahela Baishakh started from Akbar's reign.
It was customary to clear up all dues on the last day of Chaitra.
On the next day or the first day of the new year, landlords would entertain their tenants with sweets.
The occasion was marked by fairs and other festivities.
In due course, the occasion became part of domestic and social life and turned into a day of merriment.
We just celebrated this occasion 3 days earlier.It's obvious that almost all girls love to wear saree on this day.
So as I! I wore a purple saree with blue & golden border and a blue 'Tip'!
Day by day the celebration's reaching even in rural areas of Bangladesh.
