New Delhi, April 13 -- The much-awaited festival of Bengalis, Pohela Boisakh, also called as Shubho Noboborsho or Poila Baisakh, is widely celebrated in West Bengal, parts of Assam, Tripura and Bangladesh. Many seem to be confused whether the Bengal new year will commence from April 14 or April 15.

This year, according to Drik Panchang, the new year for Indian Bengalis begins from April 15, Tuesday. The Sankranti moment marking the transition will take place at 3:30 am on April 14, Monday.

The Bengali Calendar origin goes back to the reign of 7th-century Gauda ruler King Shashanka. It was later altered during the rule of Mughal Emperor Akbar, who sought to combine the Islamic and Bengali calendars to simplify tax collection for landowne...