Fri1Jan
🧸 Kids
Noboborsho Activity
See details
Details →
Poila Boishakh 2027 in Kolkata: Bengali New Year 1434
2 events matching right now across Kolkata — mostly kids (1), food (1).
Poila Boishakh, the Bengali New Year, falls on Thursday 15 April 2027 in West Bengal and begins the year 1434 of the Bengali calendar. Bangladesh, which uses a fixed calendar, marks it a day earlier. The day starts early. Shopkeepers take new account books to the Kalighat and Dakshineswar temples for haal khata, the ritual opening of the year's ledger, and queues at both temples build from before dawn. Neighbourhoods hold prabhat pheri, morning processions with songs, and cultural organisations put on programmes of Rabindra Sangeet, recitation and dance through the day at halls such as Rabindra Sadan and at Jorasanko Thakur Bari. Families dress in new clothes, bought in the Chaitra Sale that fills Gariahat, Hatibagan and New Market in the month before. The other half of the day is food: Bengali restaurants across the city serve special Noboborsho thalis and buffets, usually by reservation, and sweet shops bring out new-season specials. Bengali publishers also treat the day as a second book season, with launches on College Street. This page lists Poila Boishakh feasts, cultural programmes, fairs and pop-ups across Kolkata, Howrah, Salt Lake and New Town as they are announced.
Friday
1 January · 1 event
Thursday
15 April · 1 event
Get the best of Kolkata in your inbox
SubscribeOne email every Thursday with the weekend's top picks. Free, no spam.
Good to know
- Reserve a Poila Boishakh lunch a week ahead; the well-known Bengali restaurants run fixed seatings and sell out.
- If you want darshan at Kalighat or Dakshineswar, go before sunrise or wait until the evening.
- Mid-April is hot and humid. Pick air-conditioned halls for daytime programmes and carry water.
- The Chaitra Sale ends the day before; the last weekend at Gariahat and Hatibagan is the most crowded.
- Many shops close early or stay shut on the day after their haal khata, so do your shopping beforehand.
Frequently asked questions
When is Poila Boishakh 2027?
Thursday 15 April 2027 in West Bengal. It begins the Bengali year 1434.
Why is the date different in Bangladesh?
Bangladesh follows a reformed calendar with a fixed date of 14 April. West Bengal follows the traditional astronomical calculation, which puts the new year on 15 April in 2027.
What is haal khata?
The opening of a new account book on the first day of the year. Traders have the ledger blessed at a temple and invite customers in for sweets.
What do people eat on Poila Boishakh?
A full Bengali meal: typically fish, mutton or prawn dishes with rice, fried starters, chutney and sweets. Restaurants sell it as a set thali or buffet.
The weekend, sorted.
Every Thursday: the 10 best things to do in Kolkata this weekend, the free stuff, and what to book before it sells out. Join readers across Kolkata, Howrah and Salt Lake.
You're in — look out for Thursday's email. 🎉