Kolkata: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday wished the people of the state on the occasion of Poila Baisakh, Bengali New Year.
The day was celebrated with enthusiasm by the people of the state and Bengalis settled elsewhere.
In a post on X handle, Modi said, “May this poila baisakh be the start of a year filled with prosperity, joy and peace.”
“May all your aspirations be fulfilled and may everyone be blessed with great health,” he said in the pictorial post having both Bengali and English contents and accompanied by images of ‘mangal ghat and kulo’ traditional items which are integrated with the rituals.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in a post on X, quoted lines of Rabindranath Tagore’s timeless ‘Banglar Mati Banglar Jol’, which is the state anthem of West Bengal, and wished people of the state on the occasion of Bengali New Year.
Reminding her government had first declared ‘Poila Baisakh’, the first day of Bangla ‘Nababarsho’ as the foundation day of the state and declared Tagore’s Banglar Mati Banglar Jol (soil of Bengal, water of Bengal) as the state anthem, the CM said, “This day signifies the glorious culture, rich heritage and spirit of brotherhood in Bengal.”
The CM in a separate post on the X handle wished peace, amity, brotherhood, and love to prevail among different communities of state and the ties cannot be broken.
Banerjee, who is in north Bengal for poll campaigns, danced to the beat of a traditional tribal drum instrument on the first day of the Bengali New Year.
She walked along over a 2-km distance from Chalsa Tiabon to Mangalbarri-Chalsa Golai, amid the blowing of conch shells and showering of petals as women along the route cheered.
However, there was no party flag or symbol at the roadshow.
The CM garlanded the statue of B R Ambedkar, the architect of the country’s Constitution, on the occasion of his birth anniversary on Sunday.
On the occasion of Bengali New Year, ‘prabhat pheris’ (morning cultural processions) were taken out across the state by different organisations where people kept singing another popular Tagore song ‘Eso He Baisakh’ (Hey the month of Baisakh welcome) and ‘Banglar Mati Banglar Jol’, wearing traditional attire.
In Kanthi in Purba Medinipur district, senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, BJP candidate from Kanthi Lok Sabha constituency Soumendu Adhikari, MLA Arup Das and thousands of people, cutting across party lines, walked in a colourful ‘prabhat pheri’ holding Bengali handicraft items like ‘Kulo’ and ‘Haat Pankha’ and dancing to the beat of ‘Dhak’ and ‘Dhamsa madal’.
The participants sang ‘Eso he Baisakh’ and walked for over 2 km.
“I walked along with thousands…Sincere heartfelt Bengali Happy New Year wishes. May the new Bengali year bring happiness in everyone’s life,” Adhikari, the leader of the opposition in the state Assembly, posted in Bengali on X.
BJP candidate from Kolkata Uttar Tapas Roy and Dumdum TMC nominee Sougata Roy also took part in ‘Naba barsho’ processions in their constituencies and wished people well.
Customers thronged jewellery, garments and some other shops in the city and elsewhere in the state on the occasion.
They also thronged speciality Bengali cuisine restaurants which offered lip-smacking delicacies.
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