BAISAKHI: A TRADITIONAL CELEBRATION OF OUR COUNTRY

Dr. BHASKAR CHAKRABORTY Professor of Chemistry Sikkim Government College (NBBGC) An Extension Centr

Baisakhi, also known as Vaisakhi, is a vibrant and joyous festival celebrated with immense enthusiasm and traditional gaiety, primarily in Punjab, Bengal and Northern India, on the 14th or 15th of April every year. It is a multi-faceted festival marking the “Solar New Year”, a significant harvest festival, agricultural prosperity, community celebration, and gratitude for bountiful crops. This festival is a major religious milestone for Sikhs, Bengalis, Nepalese, Manipuri’s, Assamese, and peoples of Tripura, Tamilnadu, and Puducherry respectively. For many Hindus, it marks the “Mesha Sankranti”, when the Sun enters Aries. It is a day of ritual bathing in sacred rivers like the Ganges, Jhelum, and Kaveri. In Himachal Pradesh, rituals include worshipping household deities and giving alms. Baisakhi coincides with other Regional New Year festivals in India, including “Pohela Boishakh” in West Bengal, “Bohag/Rongali Bihu” in Assam, and “Puthandu” in Tamil Nadu.

ASSAM

Baisakhi is primarily celebrated as Bohag Bihu or Rongali Bihu in Assam. The Assamese community marks this period (around April 14–15) as the start of the Assamese New Year, characterized by Bihu dances and feasts.Rongali Bihu on this occasion along with traditional puja at the “Kamakhya Temple” is the most important part on this very day. People used to wear new traditional dresses and the celebration is usually held in some community halls of school/college field or even in stadium in the presence of honourable guests.

BENGAL

Pohela Baisakh is the start date of Bengali New Year and is a vibrant celebration where people wear new clothes, visit family, and start new business ledgers in various shops including gold shops. This tradition is also known as “Halkhata”. It is a time for feasting, cultural programs, and celebrating Bengali art and music. Also, another important part is to visit nearest Mandirs (Maa Durga, Kali, Shiva, Lakshmi, Saraswati, and Ganesha) and offer prayers with seasonal flowers, fruits (especially with newly arrived mangoes), and sweets with the hope for a new beginning of the year. Bengalis also treat this day very auspicious for “House opening’/shop opening/ purchasing ornaments, cars and many more. In Kolkata, people used to stand in que from 4AM in the morning to offer prayers in “Dakhnineswar Temple” after taking a holy bath at the river Ganga. In the evening, many cultural shows comprising of musictraditional music (Rabindra Sangeet, folk songs), dance, and poetry and recitations are held in various clubs and people used to visit their near and dear ones housed to greet each other with new traditional red-and-white attire, decorate homes with Alpona (Rongali), and exchange greetings. The festival is secular, celebrated by all Bengali communities, emphasizing heritage over religious differences. A key part of the celebration includes traditional meals, such as polao with fried fish and mutton, along with various sweets like Rosgolla.Boishakhi Mela in different places starts from this very day featuring local handicrafts, traditional foods, and cultural performances. The New Year celebrations in Tripura are almost same as in Bengal.

SIKKIM & NORTH EAST REGION

Nepali New Year, also known as “Naya Barsha,” is an important cultural event celebrated throughout Nepal and in all states of our country where nepali speaking people of our country resides like, Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Sikkim and many areas of NE region. . Falling in mid-April, it’s a time when families and communities come together to mark the beginning of a new year in the Nepali calendar.

Like many other Asian countries, Nepal uses a different calendar. The Nepali calendar is based on the Bikram Sambat, a widely used ancient calendar of the Hindu tradition. The calendar is approximately 56 years and 8 months ahead of the Common Era. Celebrations are often modest but heartfelt. People exchange greetings and sweets, visit relatives, and enjoy traditional Nepali dishes together. It’s a time for reconnecting with loved ones and strengthening community bonds. Regardless of ethnic or religious background, Nepalis from all walks of life come together to celebrate New Year.

PUNJAB

Baisakhi in Punjab is a major spring harvest festival where farmers celebrate the harvesting of Rabi crops. It marks the formation of the Khalsa Panth in 1699 by Guru Govind Singh, characterized by energetic Bhangra/Gidda dances, community feasts (langar), and special prayers in Gurudwaras. The main festival is organized in “Golden Temple” in Amritsar where people used to offer prayers from the morning till the whole day.

MANIPUR

The New Year festival that falls around the same time is known as SajibuCheiraoba. The day is celebrated with traditional gaiety and enthusiasm and people used to offer prayers for the good beginning of the year. They also celebrate with exchange of their traditional sweets and used to wear traditional attires on this day.

TAMILMNADU & PUDUCHERRY

The auspicious day of Baisakhi is celebrated as “Puthandu” in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry as a new beginning of their traditional calendar. The people of this states used to celebrate with offering prayers to Sri Ganesha, Shri Venkashera (Lord Vishnu) with their home made traditional sweets and exchange greetings with each other in the day with musical events and cultural heritage.Puthandu signifies fresh beginnings, prosperity, and optimism for the coming year.