Lucknow: Members of Bengali community in the city welcomed Poila Boishak, Bengali New Year, with colour, music and tradition on Wednesday.Bengali Club was the centre of festivities, drawing visitors from early morning. Dressed in traditional attire, women in red-and-white sarees and men in kurtas took part in rituals, cultural programmes and a food festival that reflected the spirit of the occasion.Poila Boishak, observed as the first day of the Bengali calendar, also marks beginning of the harvest season and closing of old ledger books, known as Haal Khata.Bengali folk singer Banashree Biswas performed at the club and paid tribute to veteran singer Asha Bhosle by opening with ‘Jete dao amaye’. She also sang popular Bengali numbers like ‘Bangla amar sorse Illish’, ‘Gadi chole na’, ‘Tomar ghore bosot kore koi nona’ and ‘Bolo O Nandini’.“We wait for this day all year as it’s not just a celebration, it’s a connection to our roots,” said Aniruddh Chatterjee, who attended the event with his family.Food remained a major attraction, with attendees relishing traditional dishes such as baigan bhaja, shukto, payesh and darbesh.Bengali Club president Arun Banerjee said, “It is a joyous day for all Bengalis as we enter a new year and pray that the coming year is peaceful and prosperous.”At Kali Badi temple in Ghasiyari Mandi, devotees queued up for darshan and sought blessings of Goddess Durga. Prasad comprising aloo bhaja, dum aloo, matar paneer, pulao, papad and rasgulla was served to visitors.
