bengali new year
Reuters

Poila Baisakh (or Bengali New Year's Day) is one of the most important days in Bengali calendar. Therefore, it is not surprising to find the biggest sports associations clubs from Kolkata -- football sides Mohun Bagan, Atletico de Kolkata, East Bengal as well as Indian Premier League (IPL) side Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) joining in the festivities.

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This is Bengali year 1424. While the start of Baisakh 2017 indicates a new beginning of the accounting year for traders by opening of the new haalkhata (account balances), the occasion is marked with everything bangaliyana.

From playing Rabindrasangeet to worshipping Gods Lakshmi and Ganesh, and from gorging on out-of-the-world bengali delicacies like kochi pathar jhol with quintessential gondhoraj lebu and mishti doi, to taking holy dips in Ganga River and visiting famous Kali temples in Kolkata -- Dakshineswar to Adyapith Mandir.

Poila Baisakh greetings

The day also marks Bar Puja -- a unique tradition among Kolkata football clubs, especially Mohun Bagan and East Bengal, to worship their goalposts and conduct proper puja rituals on it. This is done with the aim to invoke God's blessings on their club for the upcoming football season.

The Mohun Bagan club tent and the East Bengal club tent are decorated with flowers with members, supporters and plenty of football fans thronging the place. And did we miss, a hefty lunch awaits!

Bar Puja 2017: Mohun Bagan

Bar Puja 2017: East Bengal