Bengali Calendar was introduced by Emperor Akbar to ease tax collection

[kalu_miah]

Bengali calendar - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Bengali Calendar (Bengali: বঙ্গাব্দ Bônggabdo or বাংলা সন Bangla Shôn) is the sidereal solar used by the Bengali people in their calendar officially used in Bangladesh and West Bengal. The year begins on Pohela or Poila Boishakh, which falls on 14/15 April according to the tropical calendar in Bengal.
The current Bengali year is 1420. The Bengali year is 594 less than the AD or CE year in the Gregorian year if it is before Pôhela Boishakh, or 593 less after Pôhela Boishakh.

History

Origin of Bongabdo or Bangla Year is debated with primarily two hypothesis but historicity of none could be proved till date.

The development of the Bengali calendar is often attributed to King of Gour or Gauda, Shashanka as the starting date falls squarely within his reign.

Mughal Emperor Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar, the renowned grandson of Zahiruddin Muhammad Babur was the 3rd Mughal Emperor, introduced the Bengali Calendar. In regards of relatively easier tax collection, Akbar-e-Azam changed the practice of agricultural tax collection according to Hijri calendar and ordered an improvement of the calendar because the Hijri calendar, being a lunar calendar- did not agree with the harvest sessions and eventually the farmers faced severe difficulties in paying taxes out of season.

The regal astrologer of Emperor Akbar's reign, Aamir Fatehullah Siraji , was the one who in fact developed this calendar, after working out a research on the lunar Hijri and Solar calendar. The distinctive characteristic of the Bengali year was that, rather than being a lunar calendar, it was based on a union of the solar and lunar year. This was essentially a great promotion, as the solar and lunar years were formulated in very diverse systems.

Primarily this calendar was named as “Fasli San” and then Bongabdo or Bangla Year was launched on 10/11 March 1584, but was dated from 5th November 1556 or 963 Hijri. This was the day that Akbar defeated Himu in the clash of Panipat to ascend the throne.

Akbar-e-Azam’s ordered to resolve all dues on the last day of Choitro. The next day was the first day of the New Year (Bengali New Year), the day for a new opening; landlords used to allocate sweets among their tenants, and Businessmen would commence a “Halkhata” (new financial records book) and lock their old ones. Vendors used to provoke their consumers to allocate sweets and renew their business relationship with them. There were fairs and festivities allover and gradually Poyela Boishakh became a day of celebration.

 

[kalu_miah]

Virtual bangladesh: The Bangla calendar

The Origin of Bangla new year and celebrating Pahela Baishakh

by Syed Ashraf Ali

Bengali New Year Celebration Procession

WE celebrate Pahela Baishakh or the Bangla New Year's Day today. Everything under the sun looks gay and cheerful and colourful, one is suddenly struck by the beauty of the grass, the sky, the trees - each and everything around looks pretty and radiates joy and happiness. It seems that the tired and weary sun of 1405 that set last evening carried along with it all the gloom, all the sorrows, all the melancholy and misery. Nothing that is painful or dull or dreary is left for 1406, and the sun rising with a new spirit and vigour this morning, rises in its full glory, radiating nothing gloomy, nothing sad, nothing pensive but only hope and happiness for the days to come.
Pahela Baishakh is indeed a momentous occasion in the life of each and every Bengalee. It is the first day of Bangla calendar year. To every Bengalee, young and old, rich and poor, wise and ignorant, it is a time of gaiety to be celebrated with great merry-making, to be enjoyed in every possible manner, an occasion which enables us, in the words of Tennyson, to drink life to the lees.' It is a cruel irony of fate that a few orthodox Muslims in our country, shrouded by sheer ignorance, look down upon this Nababarsha festival, simply because they inadvertently consider it to be a festival of non-Muslim origin. But there is no shadow of doubt that the Bangla calendar that we follow today was introduced by the Muslims in this sub-continent.

The Pahela Baishakh so warmly celebrated all over the country today originated not from Bangladesh, but from an entirely different part of this sub-continent more than thousand miles away. What is more, the Bangla Saal was introduced not by any Bangladeshi but by a non-Bengalee in whose grandfather's vein flowed the blood of both Gengis Khan and Tamerlane.

Yes, what is popularly known as Bangla Saal today saw the light of day through an ordinance promulgated by Akbar the Great, the renowned grandson of Zahiruddin Muhammad Babar whose mother and father were descendants of Gengis Khan and Tamerlane respectively. It was to immortalise a momentous occasion, a crucial juncture of history that the great Moghul introduced this new system of calendar 415 years ago.

The calendar so introduced was originally known as Tarikh-e-Elahi and it was introduced on the 10th or the 11th March in the 29th year of Akbar's reign i.e. in 1585 A. D. It , however, dates from the day of Akbar's ascension to the throne of Delhi and commemorates his coronation as the Emperor of India in 1556. The Second Battle of Panipath and the Coronation of Akbar as the Emperor of India are indeed great events in the annals of history. The Moguls had nearly lost the throne of Delhi for good. Akbar was not even an adult when the life of Humayun was suddenly cut short on the stairs of his own library.

What is more, the mighty and competent Hindu general Himu, the Commander-in-Chief of Islam Shah, had conquered both Delhi and Agra and declared himself Raj Chakravarty. It seemed that the days of the Great Moghuls were numbered and they would be driven out from the sub-continent for ever. But the brave and indomitable Akbar rose to the occasion and faced the music with courage and conviction. With the able guidance and help of Bairam Khan, Akbar created history by defeating the invincible' army of Himu at the Second Battle of Panipat on the 5th of November, 1556. This was indeed a momentous occasion in the annals of history. It not only re- established the Moghul dynasty on the Indian soil but also ensured its continuation for many a year to come. As a result, the Moghuls ruled over this sub-continent with glory and greatness for three hundred years more. It was the greatest achievement in Akbar's chequered life and undoubtedly one of the greatest events in the Moghul history. It was to glorify and immortalise the historic event and also to facilitate the collection of revenue during harvest in a more systematic way that Akbar the Great introduced Tarikh-e-Elahi form the 10th of Rabiul Awal in 963 A.H.

It may be mentioned in this connection that from the very beginning of his reign, Akbar felt the need of introducing a uniform scientific, workable and acceptable system of calculating days and months through a reformed calendar. With this end in view, he commissioned Amir Fathullah Shirazi, a distinguished scientist and the most famous astronomer of the day, to make a recommendation for the reformed calendar. Abul Fazal, the renowned scholar and a minister of Akbar the Great, in his scholarly work Akbar Namah, gives details of the events leading to the new era under the Royal Forman of Akbar. Abul Fazal explains that the use of the Hijrah (Hegira) Era was unfair to the peasantry, because 31 lunar years were equal to 30 solar years and the revenue was collected on the basis of lunar years whereas the harvest depended on the solar ones. Abul Fazal was right because the lunar year consists of 354 days and the solar years has 365 or 366 days. Thus there is difference of II or 12 days between the lunar and the solar years.

The Forman (Royal Proclamation) ran as follows: "In this dominion adorning time and auspicious epoch, when a Qarn (cycle) of the victorious session on throne of sovereignty has elapsed, and good day of fortune has begun to smile, a world- obeyed' Forman was issued to the effect that the governors of the Imperial dominions, and the other offices of state and finance, who in accordance with their degrees and positions, are recipients of the royal favours, should know as follows:

'Whereas the great officers of the court have represented to us as follows:" It is not hidden from the Inspired Kind that the object of establishing an era is that the seasons of affairs and events may be known with ease, and no one has any occasion for alteration.

Suppose, for example, someone makes a contract, or takes a favour or a loan, and the period of execution be 4 years, 4 months: unless the exact date of the beginning be known, it will be difficult, or rather impossible, to determine the date of completion. It is event too that whenever an era has prevailed for a long time, the establishment of a new one opens the gates of ease and prosperity for all mankind.

The repeated representation of this body of men, and regard for their positions, prevailed and were accepted, and an order was issued that the new year, which followed close on the year of ascension, should be made the foundation of the Divine Era, and that the gates of joy and comfort should be opened.

Also that in the almanacs of India they (the almanac writers) should enter this new era instead of their discordant eras..... and that they do away with their various eras. And whereas in the almanacs current in India the years were solar, and the months lunar, we ordered that the months of the new era should be solar.'

Abul Fazal eulogises the Forman of 992 A.H. (1584 A.D.) in the following way: The pillar of the founders of the Sacred Era was the learned of the age, the Plato of cycles (Alwani) Amir Fathullah Shirazi whose title was Azad-ud-Daula. It was he who in a happy hour laid the foundation of this heavenward soaring edifice. Although the foundation (i.e. the Forman) took place in 992 A.H. yet the position of events dates from the beginning of the sacred accession of Akbar.

He further adds: The Forman ordered that the new year which followed close on the year of accession should be made the foundation of the Divine Era and accordingly the first of Muharram (the first month of the Hegira calendar) of 963 A.H. being close to the historic occasion was also made the starting point of the Tarikh-e-Elahi." Since the month of Muharram coincided with the Bengali month of Baishakh in 963 A.H., the month of Baishakh in Bengal was made the first month of the Bengali Era instead of the month of Chaitra which was the first month of the Shaka Era being practised in the then Bengal.

The months of the new Bengali Era (or Tarikh-e-Elahi) were initially known as Karwadin, Ardi, 'Vihisu, Khordad, Teer, Amardad, Shahriar, Aban, Azur, Dai, Baham and Iskander Miz. Nobody knows for sure how and when we started naming the months as Baishakh, Jaishtha, etc. It is presumed that these months, based on the names of the stars, were derived from the Shakabda which was introduced in 78 A.D. to commemorate the reign of the Shaka dynasty in this subcontinent.

The star-based names of the months were derived as follows:

Baishakh from the star known as Bishakha
Jiashthya from Jaishtha
Ashara from Shar
Sraban from Srabani
Bhadra from Bhadrapada
Ashwin from Aswaini
Kartik from Kartika
Agrahayon from Agraihon
Poush from Poushya
Magh from Magha
Falgun from Falguni, and
Chaitra from Chitra stars.
Some claim inadvertently that the Bangla calendar was introduced by Shashanka, king of Bengal, to commemorate his conquest of Assam. But records testify to the fact the Shashanka, son of Maha Sengupta, conquered Benaras and moved towards Chilka lake and never towards Assam.

The system of celebrating Nababarsha or Pahela Baishakh (Ist of Baishak) was also introduced by Akbar the Great. After introducing Tarikh-e-Elahi, he abolished the hitherto practised Muslim festivals and replaced them by 14 new festivals, one of which was Nawroze or the celebration of the New Year's Day. It was the celebration of Nawroze which enabled Prince Selim (later emperor Jehangir) to meet and fall in love with Meherunnisa (known as Nurjahan in history). It was again in one such Nawroze festival that the Prince Khurram (known as the Emperor Shahjahan in history) first came across Mumtaz Mahal, whom he immortalised through the great "poetry in marble" known the world over as Taj Mahal. Had there been no Nababarsha (or Nawroze) festival, there perhaps would be no Nurjahan, and no Taj Mahal.

 

[apolitical]

Virtual bangladesh: The Bangla calendar

The Origin of Bangla new year and celebrating Pahela Baishakh

by Syed Ashraf Ali

Bengali New Year Celebration Procession

WE celebrate Pahela Baishakh or the Bangla New Year's Day today. Everything under the sun looks gay and cheerful and colourful, one is suddenly struck by the beauty of the grass, the sky, the trees - each and everything around looks pretty and radiates joy and happiness. It seems that the tired and weary sun of 1405 that set last evening carried along with it all the gloom, all the sorrows, all the melancholy and misery. Nothing that is painful or dull or dreary is left for 1406, and the sun rising with a new spirit and vigour this morning, rises in its full glory, radiating nothing gloomy, nothing sad, nothing pensive but only hope and happiness for the days to come.
Pahela Baishakh is indeed a momentous occasion in the life of each and every Bengalee. It is the first day of Bangla calendar year. To every Bengalee, young and old, rich and poor, wise and ignorant, it is a time of gaiety to be celebrated with great merry-making, to be enjoyed in every possible manner, an occasion which enables us, in the words of Tennyson, to drink life to the lees.' It is a cruel irony of fate that a few orthodox Muslims in our country, shrouded by sheer ignorance, look down upon this Nababarsha festival, simply because they inadvertently consider it to be a festival of non-Muslim origin. But there is no shadow of doubt that the Bangla calendar that we follow today was introduced by the Muslims in this sub-continent.

The Pahela Baishakh so warmly celebrated all over the country today originated not from Bangladesh, but from an entirely different part of this sub-continent more than thousand miles away. What is more, the Bangla Saal was introduced not by any Bangladeshi but by a non-Bengalee in whose grandfather's vein flowed the blood of both Gengis Khan and Tamerlane.

Yes, what is popularly known as Bangla Saal today saw the light of day through an ordinance promulgated by Akbar the Great, the renowned grandson of Zahiruddin Muhammad Babar whose mother and father were descendants of Gengis Khan and Tamerlane respectively. It was to immortalise a momentous occasion, a crucial juncture of history that the great Moghul introduced this new system of calendar 415 years ago.

The calendar so introduced was originally known as Tarikh-e-Elahi and it was introduced on the 10th or the 11th March in the 29th year of Akbar's reign i.e. in 1585 A. D. It , however, dates from the day of Akbar's ascension to the throne of Delhi and commemorates his coronation as the Emperor of India in 1556. The Second Battle of Panipath and the Coronation of Akbar as the Emperor of India are indeed great events in the annals of history. The Moguls had nearly lost the throne of Delhi for good. Akbar was not even an adult when the life of Humayun was suddenly cut short on the stairs of his own library.

What is more, the mighty and competent Hindu general Himu, the Commander-in-Chief of Islam Shah, had conquered both Delhi and Agra and declared himself Raj Chakravarty. It seemed that the days of the Great Moghuls were numbered and they would be driven out from the sub-continent for ever. But the brave and indomitable Akbar rose to the occasion and faced the music with courage and conviction. With the able guidance and help of Bairam Khan, Akbar created history by defeating the invincible' army of Himu at the Second Battle of Panipat on the 5th of November, 1556. This was indeed a momentous occasion in the annals of history. It not only re- established the Moghul dynasty on the Indian soil but also ensured its continuation for many a year to come. As a result, the Moghuls ruled over this sub-continent with glory and greatness for three hundred years more. It was the greatest achievement in Akbar's chequered life and undoubtedly one of the greatest events in the Moghul history. It was to glorify and immortalise the historic event and also to facilitate the collection of revenue during harvest in a more systematic way that Akbar the Great introduced Tarikh-e-Elahi form the 10th of Rabiul Awal in 963 A.H.

It may be mentioned in this connection that from the very beginning of his reign, Akbar felt the need of introducing a uniform scientific, workable and acceptable system of calculating days and months through a reformed calendar. With this end in view, he commissioned Amir Fathullah Shirazi, a distinguished scientist and the most famous astronomer of the day, to make a recommendation for the reformed calendar. Abul Fazal, the renowned scholar and a minister of Akbar the Great, in his scholarly work Akbar Namah, gives details of the events leading to the new era under the Royal Forman of Akbar. Abul Fazal explains that the use of the Hijrah (Hegira) Era was unfair to the peasantry, because 31 lunar years were equal to 30 solar years and the revenue was collected on the basis of lunar years whereas the harvest depended on the solar ones. Abul Fazal was right because the lunar year consists of 354 days and the solar years has 365 or 366 days. Thus there is difference of II or 12 days between the lunar and the solar years.

The Forman (Royal Proclamation) ran as follows: "In this dominion adorning time and auspicious epoch, when a Qarn (cycle) of the victorious session on throne of sovereignty has elapsed, and good day of fortune has begun to smile, a world- obeyed' Forman was issued to the effect that the governors of the Imperial dominions, and the other offices of state and finance, who in accordance with their degrees and positions, are recipients of the royal favours, should know as follows:

'Whereas the great officers of the court have represented to us as follows:" It is not hidden from the Inspired Kind that the object of establishing an era is that the seasons of affairs and events may be known with ease, and no one has any occasion for alteration.

Suppose, for example, someone makes a contract, or takes a favour or a loan, and the period of execution be 4 years, 4 months: unless the exact date of the beginning be known, it will be difficult, or rather impossible, to determine the date of completion. It is event too that whenever an era has prevailed for a long time, the establishment of a new one opens the gates of ease and prosperity for all mankind.

The repeated representation of this body of men, and regard for their positions, prevailed and were accepted, and an order was issued that the new year, which followed close on the year of ascension, should be made the foundation of the Divine Era, and that the gates of joy and comfort should be opened.

Also that in the almanacs of India they (the almanac writers) should enter this new era instead of their discordant eras..... and that they do away with their various eras. And whereas in the almanacs current in India the years were solar, and the months lunar, we ordered that the months of the new era should be solar.'

Abul Fazal eulogises the Forman of 992 A.H. (1584 A.D.) in the following way: The pillar of the founders of the Sacred Era was the learned of the age, the Plato of cycles (Alwani) Amir Fathullah Shirazi whose title was Azad-ud-Daula. It was he who in a happy hour laid the foundation of this heavenward soaring edifice. Although the foundation (i.e. the Forman) took place in 992 A.H. yet the position of events dates from the beginning of the sacred accession of Akbar.

He further adds: The Forman ordered that the new year which followed close on the year of accession should be made the foundation of the Divine Era and accordingly the first of Muharram (the first month of the Hegira calendar) of 963 A.H. being close to the historic occasion was also made the starting point of the Tarikh-e-Elahi." Since the month of Muharram coincided with the Bengali month of Baishakh in 963 A.H., the month of Baishakh in Bengal was made the first month of the Bengali Era instead of the month of Chaitra which was the first month of the Shaka Era being practised in the then Bengal.

The months of the new Bengali Era (or Tarikh-e-Elahi) were initially known as Karwadin, Ardi, 'Vihisu, Khordad, Teer, Amardad, Shahriar, Aban, Azur, Dai, Baham and Iskander Miz. Nobody knows for sure how and when we started naming the months as Baishakh, Jaishtha, etc. It is presumed that these months, based on the names of the stars, were derived from the Shakabda which was introduced in 78 A.D. to commemorate the reign of the Shaka dynasty in this subcontinent.

The star-based names of the months were derived as follows:

Baishakh from the star known as Bishakha
Jiashthya from Jaishtha
Ashara from Shar
Sraban from Srabani
Bhadra from Bhadrapada
Ashwin from Aswaini
Kartik from Kartika
Agrahayon from Agraihon
Poush from Poushya
Magh from Magha
Falgun from Falguni, and
Chaitra from Chitra stars.
Some claim inadvertently that the Bangla calendar was introduced by Shashanka, king of Bengal, to commemorate his conquest of Assam. But records testify to the fact the Shashanka, son of Maha Sengupta, conquered Benaras and moved towards Chilka lake and never towards Assam.

The system of celebrating Nababarsha or Pahela Baishakh (Ist of Baishak) was also introduced by Akbar the Great. After introducing Tarikh-e-Elahi, he abolished the hitherto practised Muslim festivals and replaced them by 14 new festivals, one of which was Nawroze or the celebration of the New Year's Day. It was the celebration of Nawroze which enabled Prince Selim (later emperor Jehangir) to meet and fall in love with Meherunnisa (known as Nurjahan in history). It was again in one such Nawroze festival that the Prince Khurram (known as the Emperor Shahjahan in history) first came across Mumtaz Mahal, whom he immortalised through the great "poetry in marble" known the world over as Taj Mahal. Had there been no Nababarsha (or Nawroze) festival, there perhaps would be no Nurjahan, and no Taj Mahal.

How does the Bengali calendar have 1420 years if Akbar was barely a four hundred years ago? Anyways, interesting fact nonetheless...

 

[INDIC]

Who started Bengali calender 1420 years back.

 

[apolitical]

Who started Bengali calender 1420 years back.

Apparently Akbar didnt know how to count and started his calendar at year 1000 or something

 

[INDIC]

Apparently Akbar didnt know how to count and started his calendar at year 1000 or something

King Vikramitya of Ujjain started Vikram Samvat 2070 years ago, its 2070 years in that calender, I believe same is true for Bengali calender.

 

[Android]

Hindu(Vedic) calendar is a collective name for
most of the lunisolar calendars and
solar calendars used in India since
ancient times.
Since ancient times it has
undergone many changes in the process
of regionalization and today there are
several regional Indian Hindu calendars.
It has also been standardized as Indian
national calendar . Nepali calendar ,
Assamese Calendar, Bengali calendar ,
Malayalam calendar , Tamil calendar ,
Telugu calendar, Kannada calendar etc.
are some prominent regional Hindu
calendars. [1] The common feature of all
regional Hindu calendars is that the
names of the twelve months are the
same (because the names are based in
Sanskrit ) though the spelling and
pronunciation have come to vary
slightly from region to region over
thousands of years.

 

[Luffy 500]

@kalu_miah ,this is some very good info. It was Akbar that ruined islamic empire in India with his heretic din-e-elahi BS. He was an apostate and no wonder the only mugal ruler liked by Indians. He is very much idolized in Indian text books.

 

[kalu_miah]

@kalu_miah ,this is some very good info. It was Akbar that ruined islamic empire in India with his heretic din-e-elahi BS. He was a typical munafiq and no wonder the only mugal ruler liked by Indians. He is very much idolized in Indian text books.

Din-e-elahi was definitely outside of Islam, so Akbar definitely had weird ideas.

The reason I posted this information is that many people do not know that this Bengali Calendar and Poela Baishakh is a creation of Muslim rule due to pragmatic fiscal need, and Bangladeshi's should reflect this as a Mughal Muslim legacy. Most mistake this as a Hindu festival, but it was not introduced by Hindu rulers, rather Akbar, a Mughal emperor. Despite his Din-e-elahi strange ideas, I am not sure how the Bengali calendar and Pohela Baishakh was in any way against Islam.

 

[Capt.Popeye]

@kalu_miah ,this is some very good info. It was Akbar that ruined islamic empire in India with his heretic din-e-elahi BS. He was a typical munafiq and no wonder the only mugal ruler liked by Indians. He is very much idolized in Indian text books.

Sure!!! Akbar introduced "Poila Boishakh" and the Bengali calendar . Did'nt you read Mian Kalllu's explanation for that above?

Akbar was also a great patron of the Arts; because of which he kept the "Navratnas" in his Royal Court to give patronage to Music, Dance and all the Performing Arts. That is where the tradition of singing and dancing on "Poila Boishakh" also originated, a glorious tradition that has been kept alive to this day!!

Probably the Cooks in his court may have inspired the gastronomic delights that are served on this day; the various kinds of fish, Rice and 'Paturis' served on the occasion.

All in all; Jalaluddin Akbar was an educated and enlightened Emperor, the Greatest Emperor in the Mughal Dynasty in its brightest period.

Can't understand why some BDians are now falling to abusing him, when in fact Akbar gave them one of their most important traditions!

 

[notsuperstitious]

So its not a Hindu festival but a Din-E-Ilahi festival. Fine!

 

[Luffy 500]

Despite his Din-e-elahi strange ideas, I am not sure how the Bengali calendar and Pohela Baishakh was in way against Islam.

Pohela boishak in general is not against islam. But recent alien inputs by awami budhijibis in pohela boishak indeed is against islam for eg. the mangal prodip parade. I was hinting how Akbar started many pagan practices with his din-e-elahi. I was't talking against the starting of bengali calendar which may have been a great input to trade and commerce of that time.

 

[CaPtAiN_pLaNeT]

How does the Bengali calendar have 1420 years if Akbar was barely a four hundred years ago? Anyways, interesting fact nonetheless...

Time started to count here based on hizri year when Prophet Muhammad had to go to MEdina to escape from persecution along with his sahabas. Muslims follow lunar calendar that's why there is minor variation of year. Hizra happened in 621 ad iChat I am not wrong.

 

[kalu_miah]

Pohela boishak in general is not against islam. But recent alien inputs by awami budhijibis in pohela boishak indeed is against islam for eg. the mangal prodip parade. I was hinting how Akbar started many pagan practices with his din-e-elahi. I was't talking against the starting of bengali calendar which may have been a great input to trade and commerce of that time.

We should not compare din-e-elahi with the Poela Baisakh. Din-e-elahi failed as it was opposed by Akbar's subordinates and was never accepted by any Muslim. But Bengali calendar was a success, because it was practical.

I agree Awami League is trying to sell it as Hindu culture and mixing this Bengali calendar and Poela Baishakh with Hindu culture. That is part of their over plan to Hindu-ize our culture. So we have to counter it with proper Muslim cultural practices of our own. Pointing out and remembering that this festival was introduced by a Mughal Muslim ruler and being proud of it can be a start. This shows a legacy and continuity of the Muslim rule of South Asia from 1000 years back and Muslim rule of Bengal from 800 years back.

 

[Capt.Popeye]

So its not a Hindu festival but a Din-E-Ilahi festival. Fine!

Its both!! Where on earth did Baisakh/Boishakh come from? From a Mongol Calendar?
Though the "Mongol Prodip" or lamps that are lit in Bangladeshi homes that our BDians here are talking about may have come from the Mongols.