Poila Baisakh 2023: History And Origin Of The Bengali Calendar

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In Bengali, the word Poila means 'first' and Boishakh is the first month of Bengali calendar. So, Poila Boishakh means the first day of Boishakh, thus, marking the beginning of a new year. As per the Gregorian calendar, Poila Boishakh arrives on April 14 or April 15 annually. On the same day, along with Poila Baisakh, the new year is also celebrated in Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Assam, Kerala, and Manipur.

Mughal Influences On The Bengali Calendar

The Bengali calendar was a solar calendar and the Islamese calendar was lunar based. Hence during the time of Akbar, the tax collection proved highly difficult for him. When the peasants were waiting for produce, the landlords would nag them to pay taxes as the new year and this was because lunar and solar calendars were basically different. For tax collection purposes. Akbar got the entire Bengali calendar system modified. So finally as per Akbar's orders, the two calendars were merged and it came to be called 'Fasholi Shan."

The Hindu And Islamic Calendars And Subsequent Modifications

The Bengali calendar is based on Surya Siddhanta, an astronomy text, which is used not only in West Bengal, but in Assam and Tripura as well. The calendar displays six seasons from summer to spring. They are named based on lunar mansions. The year always begins with Poila Baisakh. Our days begin with sunrise and end with sunset unlike the Gregorian calendar.

The Bengali calendar was created by king Shashanka in the 7th century.. The Vikrami calendar was used by various kings who ruled territories upto Bengal before to the 13th century. During Akbars rule, the calendar that was followed was the lunar one and hence it was not in sync with the solar calendar which the farmers at that time followed. So they had to pay out of season taxes which proved very difficult for them.

So Akbar got the calendar modified to suit both the needs of Islamic calendar and the solar calendar and came up with the fasholi shan (harvest calendar) which coincided with the beginning of harvest season. Sanskrit names of months did not change but the calendar started with the Hijri values. In 1966, Bangla Academy, Dhaka, appointed a committeed to make the calendar more precise and usable. In order to suit this, the first five months were to have 31 days whereas the rest would have 30. During leap year, one more day would be added to the month of Phalgun.

But this calendar is still not followed in West Bengal which has stuck to the unmodified old calendar. But Bengalis were so accustomed to their Hindu lifestyle and customs that they followed the solar calendar. Ever since the revision to the calendar, the new year Baisakh always arrives on April 14, but in West Bengal it can either be on 14 or 15 April. For daily use, West Bengalis use the Gregorian calendar.

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