Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], April 15 (ANI): West Bengal Governor RN Ravi on Wednesday visited the Kalighat Kali Temple in Kolkata and offered prayers on the occasion of Poila Boishakh, the Bengali New Year.

Bengali communities in various parts of India and abroad observe Poila Boishakh, which marks the beginning of the Bengali calendar year. The term 'Polia' means first, and 'Boishakh' is the first month of the lunisolar Bengali calendar. Today, the community celebrates the beginning of the year 1432.

According to Bengali Sakabdi, the first day of the year is considered the most auspicious.'Poila Boishakh' is observed by Bengalis worldwide, irrespective of geographical location, but the occasion has a special significance for Bengalis in Bangladesh and in Bengali-speaking areas of India, including West Bengal, Tripura, and Assam.

In celebration of the 'Noboborsho' (New Year), homes are cleaned and decorated to welcome the Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha. The front door is decorated with alpana, a painting made with a mixture of ground rice and flour with water.

Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also extended greetings to the people of the state on Bengali New Year, wishing peace, harmony, and prosperity for all citizens.

She urged people to resist divisive forces and reaffirmed her appeal to voters ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections.

Polling in West Bengal will be held in two phases on April 23 and April 29, with the results of the Assembly elections scheduled to be announced on May 4.

In a post on X, West Bengal CM said, 'From the depths of my heart, I extend my warmest greetings of Bengali New Year to the people of all corners of the state. May this fresh dawn of a new era make each of your lives free from blemish. In this call of the new, may every soul brim with sanctity. Just as our Bengal is the cradle of art and culture, so too is it the cradle of harmony among all religions. Some malevolent forces are leaving no stone unturned to tarnish this Bengal. Delhi's zamindars are usurping people's voting rights. Remember, we must give them a democratic answer.' (ANI)