Mumbai: This week marks the beginning of a new calendar year for several communities living in the city. Punjabis, Odias, Tamils, and Assamese celebrated their New Year on Tuesday. On Wednesday, Bengalis and Malayalis will welcome the first day of their annual calendars.
Seven-day Bohag Bihu festival
Assamese celebrate Bohag Bihu for seven days starting from Chat Sankranti, with each day having a different name, said Devabrata Chakravarty, General Secretary of the Assam Association Mumbai.
“They are Garu (Goru) Bihu, dedicated to the care of cows; Manuh Bihu for people; Gosai Bihu for the worship of God; Tatar and Nangal Bihu for weaving and farming tools; Jiyari or Chenehi Bihu dedicated to girls; and Chera Bihu, the last day,” Chakravarty explained.
Rongali Utsav 2026
The Assam Association Mumbai has organised Rongali Utsav 2026 on April 19 at Rang Sharda Auditorium in Bandra. Singer Kalpana Patowary will be the lead performer. The programme will also showcase traditional Assamese dance forms such as Bihu and Husori, along with a segment dedicated to late singer Zubeen Garg.
The Odia-speaking community celebrated Naba Barsha on Tuesday. Rashmiranjan Mishra of the Konark Odia Association, Kalamboli, said the day began with prayers to Lord Jagannath and an offering of pana, a drink made with bael, milk, fruits, jaggery, and other ingredients. For this reason, the day is also known as Maha Bishuba Pana Sankranti. Lunch featured traditional rice and dalma, a dish made with vegetables and lentils.
Guru Singh Sabha
The Guru Singh Sabha, Dadar, the city’s most prominent gurdwara, organised a religious gathering and langar (community meal) at Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar College, Wadala, on Tuesday evening to mark Baisakhi, the Punjabi New Year. For Sikh Punjabis, the day also marks the establishment of the Khalsa Panth by Guru Gobind Singh, said Puran Singh Banga, a member of the Guru Nanak Darbar gurdwara in Chembur.
Tamils also celebrated Puthandu (New Year) on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, Malayalis will celebrate Vishu, the first day of the Malayalam calendar. The day will also be observed as Poila Baisakh, marking the beginning of the Bengali calendar.
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