Asim Bando's KOLKATA BLOG

In Kolkata, Poila Boishakh (and the entire month of Boishakh) is considered to be an auspicious time for marriages. On this first day of the new year people wear new clothes and go about socialising. The shopowners, jewellers, traders and businessmen who use to deal customers directly, invite all of their old and new customers by sending cards in advance to attend the small but heartiest reception in the evening and welcome them with sweets, snacks and cold drinks. The customers are being cordially invited to take the newly printed Bangla calendar of new year also. Sweet songs and/or tune of sehnai, adoration of rajanigandha (night queen) flowers, spray of rose water, cool breeze of summer evening - a perfect atmosphere of sincere festivity use to be there. Choitro, the last month of the previous Bangla year, is the month of hectic activities and frantic purchases. Garment traders organise a Choitro sale and sell the garments with heavy discounts. Poila Boishakh is t...