Start your year in April with these celebrations

Mesha Sankranti (Uttarakhand)

Celebrated primarily in Uttarakhand on April 14, Mesha Sankranti is celebrated by visiting places considered holy such as Haridwar, Kashi, Rishikesh and Mathura. People start the new year by taking a dip in the holy Ganga and offering prayers to Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu on this auspicious day (Photo from Shutterstock)

Baisakhi (Punjab)

Marking the first day of the month of Baisakh, the spring harvest celebration takes place primarily in Punjab. Every year, the festival is celebrated on either April 13 or April 14 and the dates are also considered auspicious for matrimonial alliances. The Sikh community visits the gurdwara on this day. They also organise kirtans, community fairs and carry out local processions (Photo from Flickr)
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Bohag Bihu (Assam)

Bohag Bihu, also known as Rongaali, is celebrated for seven days straight, starting April 14 in Assam. The festival marks the beginning of the seeding season as well as the Assamese New Year. The celebrations involve offering prayers for the cattle’s wellbeing and bathing them, feasting on traditional sweets like til pitha that is made with sticky rice and other delicacies. People sing and dance to folk songs called ‘bihu geet’ and visit each other’s homes to wish each other and exchange ‘gamosa’, a traditional Assamese red and white handwoven cotton stole (Photo by Needpix)
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Pohela Boishakh (West Bengal)

The Bengali New Year or Naubo Borsho, is celebrated on April 15 every year. Popularly known as Pohela Boishakh, it marks the first day of the initial month of Baishakh. Pohela means first, baishakh is pronounced boishakh. People celebrate the day by assembling at a temple or any favoured place of worship in the wee hours and offering prayers to the rising sun. The rest of the day is spent relishing famous Bengali sweets and flaunting new clothes. (Photo from Shutterstock)
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Buisu (Tripura)

A festival that upholds the values of family, community and charity, Buisu or Bisu is the new year celebration in Tripura. Celebrated annually on April 14, Buisu involves taking an early morning dip in the nearby river, meeting relatives and binging on homemade feasts. The day also sees a lot of charity where families donate food and clothes to the poor. The people of Tripura ensure that no one is left to starve on this day (Photo by Wansukma Kwtal YouTube)

Pana Sankranti (Odisha)

The people of Odisha celebrate Pana Sankranti by sharing and sipping on a traditional chilled sweet mango-milk-yogurt-coconut drink called ‘pana’. The festival that marks a new year for the Odia people falls on 13 or 14 April every year on the Gregorian calendar. The state hosts multiple fairs that see participation from the youth and seniors alike as they dance and sing together to mark a new beginning (Photo from Wikimedia Commons) 

Vishu (Kerala)

Vishu in Kerala is all about spending time with the family. Everyone gets together to prepare food and decorate their homes. They wear new clothes, eat a traditional feast known as ‘sadhya’ and end the day by launching fireworks. Children are most excited on this day as they receive gifts and money from elders at home (Photo by Wikimedia Commons)
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