New Year celebrations brought festive cheer among people in various parts of India, as well as across neighbouring Bangladesh and Myanmar, beginning in mid-April according to the Gregorian calendar.
President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended greetings to the public on the occasion of Bohag Bihu, Vaisakhi, Vishu, Poila Boishakh, Meshadi, Vaishakhadi, and Puthandu Pirapu.
Similarly, Assam Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma conveyed their best wishes on the occasion of Goru Bihu, a celebration that underscores the significance of agriculture in the lives of the people of Assam.
“Today, Assam observes one of its most sacred and meaningful traditions — Goru Bihu, the first and most spiritually significant day of the Rongali Bihu celebrations. This day is dedicated to the worship of the cow (Gomata), that holds a divine place in Sanatan Hindu Dharma as the eternal nurturer, a symbol of motherhood, sustenance, and purity,” stated Governor Acharya.
In Bangladesh, the New Year 1432 was welcomed with a vibrant celebration of Pohela Boishakh (the first day of Nababarsha, which falls on 14 April). The Muslim-majority South Asian nation hosts a series of colourful processions, where participants don traditional attire and engage in musical and artistic displays while parading through the streets. The celebrations also include various cultural events, spreading good wishes to all.
As in previous years, the traditional procession—renamed Barshabaran Ananda Shobhajatra—was organised by the University of Dhaka in the capital city. This was followed by a series of cultural programmes held at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Bangla Academy, the Bangladesh Folk Art & Crafts Foundation, and various public venues across the country.
Although Bangladesh officially observes Pohela Boishakh on 14 April, in West Bengal and other regions of India, the celebration often takes place on the following day. In Assam, the people observe a seven-day Bohag (Rongali) Bihu festival to mark the Assamese New Year 1432, with its first day falling on 15 April, according to the Bhaskarabda calendar. This era commemorates the ascension of Bhaskara Varman, the seventh-century ruler of the historic Kamrup Kingdom.
The Assam government now officially recognizes the Bhaskarabda calendar (a lunisolar system) alongside the Saka and Gregorian calendars.
In neighbouring Myanmar, the five-day Thingyan festival, marking the Burmese New Year, began on 13 April, with 17 April signifying the start of the year 1386 in the Arakanese (Rakhine) calendar. The festivities traditionally involve water-splashing rituals among the youth, distribution of fragrant flowers, and the illumination of pagodas and monasteries across the predominantly Buddhist nation. However, due to ongoing civil unrest and natural disasters, this year’s celebrations were marked by somber reflection, with citizens paying tribute to victims of conflict and hardship.
