By Firstdespatch Desk Apr 15, 2023
Agartala, April 15 (FD) Bengali new year 1430 was observed with traditional customs across Tripura today including offering Puja in different temples and wishing each other on the 'Noboborsho' or new year while long queues were seen thronging markets in Agartala city, its suburbs and sub-divisional cities like Udaipur, Dharmanagar etc as people lined up to purchase meat and fish intrinsic to the customs of non-vegetarians celebrating the day even in sweltering heat.
Tripura Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha began his day by travelling to Udaipur in Gomati district, where he offered Puja at the Tripurasundari Temple.
Taking to Twitter, the CM wrote, "On the occasion of Bengali New Year, offered prayers at Maa Tripurasundari Temple, Udaipur for the well-being of the people of Tripura".
He later met Governor Satyadeo Narain Arya at the Raj Bhawan and exchanged greetings on the Bengali new year. The CM also met BJP state president Rajib Bhattacharjee and exchanged greetings on the 'Noboborsho'.
Different political parties including the ruling BJP, opposition TIPRA Motha, Congress etc wished the state on Bengali New Year.
Ruling BJP state president Rajib Bhattacharjee wished the state on 'noboborsho' in a video message on social media and expressed hopes of a happy and healthy new year ahead.
Opposition TIPRA Motha chief Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma took to social media and wrote, "Wishing everyone a very Happy Poila Boishakh - Bengali New Year. Shubho Noboborsho! May you all have a great year ahead".
Minister for Scheduled Castes, Animal Resource and Fisheries Sudhangshu Das wished the state in a video message and said his government wishes to work for achieving its target of 'Ek Tripura, Srestha Tripura' ahead with peoples participation.
Meanwhile, traders and businessmen were found offering Puja and inaugurating 'haalkhata' or accounts register at Laxmi Narayan Bari temple in keeping with tradition of the Bengali community.
Moloy Chakraborty, a priest at the Laxmi Narayan Temple explained how the Bengali new year used to be counted from the month of 'agrahayan' in the Bengali calendar and was revised to start from the month of 'Baisakh' from the times of Emperor Akbar.
He also said devotees from the Hindu community traditionally offer obeisance to Lord Ganesha and Goddess Laxmi and Bengalees at large practice 'bhuribhoj' or a customer feast to welcome the new year.
In an effort to support people with expenses for the feast, the state government provided the iconic Hilsa fish at a subsidies rate from the state apex fishery cooperative limited outlets at its outlets at Maharajganj Bazaar - the largest market of the state in Agartala.
Long queues were found in front of the fisheries cooperative outlet since early morning and while traders said huge consignments of Hilsa fish arrived in the last few days to tackle the high demand usually found on 'noboborsho', the initiative take by fisheries department had a lot of takers.
Dipak Sarkar, a resident of Agartala city, said he waited for two hours in the queue to get his Hilsa fish and proudly sported one which he said he got at least Rs. 400 cheaper from the local market.
Similar initiatives were taken by fisheries cooperative society outlets at Udaipur, Dharmanagar and other cities of the state as well.
Meat shops had long queues in all parts of the state and customers said meat prices had shot up beyond expectations.
Sources said it was partially due to a series of raids in different areas including Badharghat railway station last evening, which seized 30 lambs brought under conditions of duress from outside the state.
Government officials were seen raiding different markets last evening to check illegal stocks of food items and prevent efforts to fuel artificial inflation on the 'noboborsho'.
Meanwhile, the first day of the Bengali new year passed with a sweltering Sun and humidity.
An official from the Meteorological department informed this publication that the temperature ranged between 39.3 degree and 25 degree celsius, humidity ranged between 90 and 34 percent throughout the day and the state saw zero rainfall. With predictions of partly cloudy sky and temperature between 39 and 25 degree Celsius tomorrow, the 'noboborsho' has certainly started with a lot of heat.
FD JK