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Poila Boishakh: The Significance Of The Bengali Almanac, Panjika, In Every Bengali Household

For over 150 years, Gupta Press has been releasing the famous bengali almanac.

by Ankita Mazumdar
Poila Boishakh: The Significance Of The Bengali Almanac, Panjika, In Every Bengali Household

It is time to greet Bengalis with Subho Nobobarsho as it is the Bengali New Year. It is the first day on the Bengali calendar which mostly coincides with April 14 or 15 for Indian Bengalis. On this auspicious day, Bengalis wear new clothes, seek blessings from the Supreme and elders, have a lavish feast including the delish iilish maach (Hilsa fish) and embark on new beginnings. Bengalis of India always have one thing in their household, that trademark pink coloured book. It is the Bengali almanac called Panjika.

The Significance Of Panjika Linked To Poila Boishakh, Bengali New Year

With the auspicious beginnings for Bengalis, Poila Boishakh has always been linked to Panjika. It is a Gupta Press publication that has been renewed for releasing Gupta Press Panjika for more than 150 years. It is a book that is a handbook for Bengalis to take note of auspicious timings like the change of seasons, rituals, calendar and more. The content of the book gets revised because it is prepared following the stars twinkling above, which means astrology. Hence Panjika is the Bengali astronomical almanac.

The Gregorian calendar on the Bengali almanac says that this Poila Boishakh is the year 1430. It is said that it existed during the reign of Mughal emperor Akbar! It is said to be a combination of the Islamic calendar and an ancient Sanskrit astronomical work. Back in the day, it was devised for tax collection and it was aligned with the season of harvest in Bengal as agriculture was the main occupation in West Bengal.

Also Read: Mouni Roy Talks About Bengalis’ Habit Of Drinking Chai With Biscuits, Sandesh & More

Every Poila Boishakh, Bengalis rush to their nearby Bengali bookstore or religious store to get a copy of Panjika so that they can plan their year in terms of religious matters. Now you are aware of why it is linked to Bengali New Year.

The Upgradation of This Book With Modern Time

This digital world doesn’t have time to hold a book, it needs e-books. To keep up with the technology upgrade, Gupta Press has introduced a PDF version of Panjika. They also have CDs and DVDs for the same. At the end of the day, reading a book by flipping its pages is the real deal and if you want a pocket-friendly version, they got it.

Also Read: From Usha Uthup Live To Polo Floatel Kolkata’s Poila Baisakh, Catch 6 Live Events In Kolkata

Now whenever you spot that pink-coloured book in any of the Bengali households you know what significance it holds to them.

Subho Nobobarsho!

Cover Image Courtesy: X/sohni_c and Canva
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