Poila Baishakh- Bengali New year.

Baishakh, also known as Vaishakh is the harvest festival which starts from Mid April usually. The first day of Baishakh or Poila Baishakh is the Naba Barsha means new year for Bengali. The festival generally falls on 13Th or 14Th day of April. The day is a national holiday and is celebrated with full wings of hues in it.

Bengali people celebrates this festival with joy, music, enthusiasm, playing songs games and even reciting poem. The over enthusiastic people also celebrates the eve of the poila Baishakh as Chaitra Sankranti and bid farewell to the year. Bengali's decorate their houses with flowers and Rangolis,the ladies of the houses wear the traditional red and white Saree's and men wear dhoti kurtas to add the charm in the occasion. They also take a ritual bath in Ganga or near by river to become sacred. The early morning the Bengali's take out procession known as Prabhat Pheri, which was followed by wishing all the near and dear ones “ Shubho Nabo Barsho”



Many culturally rich people celebrate the festival with set customs and rituals. The house is decorated by rangolis prepared with flour and an earthen pot is placed in the center with s Swastika on it. The Bengali's pray to Goddess Laxmi- deity of Wealth for well being and prosperity. Bengali Businessman also purchase new accounting book known as Haalkhata to start a new account.

Baishakh has its presence in each and every religion with the different names given to it, as seen as New Year for the Bengali's “ Shubho Nabo Barsho”.

Cheti Chand

An important day for the Sindhis, Cheti Chnad is marked as the beginning of a new year. Cheti Chand is primarily the birthday of Varun God (Water God, also called as Sai Uderolal popularly known as Jhulelal. It is believed that Varun Dev reincarnated as Jhulelal to protect the Sindhis from the dictator who wanted to ruin the Sindhi Culture and the religion Hinduism.



Cheti Chand is celebrated in the Chaitra/Chet month of the Hindu Calendar (March-April). Hence the name Cheti Chand. Sindhi Businessmen start new books of accounts. The festivals begins with worshipping Jhulelal and Behrana Sahib. The Behrana Sahib is a thaal or plate adorned with Oil Lamp, Crystal Sugar, Cardamon, Fruits and Akha, Water Jar and Coconut(covered with cloth), Flowers and Leaves. The idol of Jhulelal is also kept in the thaal or plate.The Behrana Sahib is taken to a nearby lake or river.



The menfolk on this day dance and sing before the idol of Jhulelal. Cheti Chand is observed with blithiness and grandiose. The people worship Water-the giver of life.

Christmas in India

India is a country where all religions have their significance and presence. Here every religion is given equal rights and privileges which allows every group of community to exercise their traditions and cultures. People here are loving and open minded which makes it easier to accept other cultures.



In India Christian community was introduced by missionaries who came to India with Britishers. Even after independence christian practices, culture and religion was accepted by many Indians and this was how a new festival was added to the list of Indian festivals. Christmas like in other nations is celebrated on the 25th of December as the birth day of Jesus Christ.

Due to globalization western practices of celebrating Christmas are getting prevalent in India as well providing huge opportunities to the related businesses. Every religion is open to the new practices and thus Christmas is now being celebrated by everybody.

India has many beautiful churches built all across the country. During the Christmas week many programmes are organised to bring in cultural harmony. The houses are being decorated with Christmas trees, Pakwans and cakes are made for the guests and masses are held to bring people together.

A week before Christmas all the Christians come together for praise and worship, a day before Christmas Midnight masses are held to give thanks to the god. On the day of Christmas a morning mass takes place at the church where every body dresses up in new clothes and greets each other.Christmas is a festival for Harmony and thus everybody enjoys the festive time.