History & Significance of Poila Boishakh

The story behind the inception of Pahela Baishakh dates back to the Mughal period when emperor Akbar asked his royal astronomer Fathullah Shirazi to come with a new calendar for the Bengalis which will aid tax collection. The emperor wanted to time the collection of taxes at the time of harvest and hence took up this initiative. Some historians also attribute the Bangla calendar to the 7th-century king Shashanka. The term Bangabda which means the Bangla year has been found in century-old Shiva temples stating the festivities could be significantly old.

People worship Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi on this day and pray for a prosperous business. All debts and pending payments are cleared on this day before opening a new transaction record for the new year.