Basant Utsav
Basant Utsav literally means the ‘celebration of spring’. The beautiful tradition of celebrating spring festival in Bengal was first started by Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore, at Vishwabharati Shantiniketan, the University founded by him.
Bera Utsav
West Bengal is a land of fairs and festivals. In fact, the culture of the state is characterized by the colorful celebrations that adorn it throughout the year. Almost every district of West Bengal plays host to at least one popular fair or festival in the entire year.
Charak Puja
Charak Puja has its own special place in West Bengal, the state of festivals. It is a special folk festival, celebrated for bidding good-bye to the passing year. It is believed that the celebration leads to prosperity in the coming year, wiping out all the sufferings and pains of the current year. This festival is celebrated on the midnight of Chaitra Sankranti.
Durga Pooja
Durga Pooja is the most important festival in West Bengal, celebrated with immense devotion and great pomp and show. This festival is also known by various names here, some call it ‘Akalbodhan’ – the untimely awakening of Durga, while others refer to it as ‘Durgotsab’ – the festival of Goddess Durga and even ‘Maayer Pujo’ – the worship of the Mother Durga.
Ganga Sagar Mela
West Bengal is the state of fairs and festivals. A large number of festivities take place in this state throughout the year. Amongst them, one of the most famous fests is the Gangasagar Mela. It is held in the month of January-February, on the Ganga Sagar Island, at the mouth of the river Hooghly in Bengal.
Kenduli Mela
The people of West Bengal celebrate their cultural lineage with immense love and respect. In fact, the celebration of their art and craft forms an integral part of their cultural heritage. Kenduli Mela is one of those traditional celebrations that celebrate the unique musical art of Baul community, a group of mystic minstrels, in Bengal. This fair is organized in Kenduli city of Birbhum district, the native land of Bauls.
Poush Mela
West Bengal is the land of fairs and festivals. Innumerable festivals are celebrated throughout the year in the state. Apart from traditional festivals, like Durga Pooja and Diwali, harvest festivals like Jhapan and tourism festival like Teesta Tea and Tourism Festival are observed here. Another festival that Bengali people relish is the ‘Cultural Festival of Poush’.
Rath Yatra
Rath Yatra, which involves taking out of the procession of Lord Jagganath’s Chariot, is one of the oldest traditions in Hindu Society. It is celebrated with great effervescence and immense devotion in Orissa and Bengal. Being celebrated since 1397, this Rath Yatra of West Bengal is the second oldest chariot festival in India, after the Rath Yatra of Puri.
Teesta Tea & Tourism Festival
West Bengal is considered to be the state of festivals .The Bengali calendar is full of fairs and festivals, each of them celebrated for a different reason. There is a festival for every season, every region and every occasion. Each of these festivals has a unique logic behind its celebration.
