Bengali calendar
luni-solar calendar used in the Bengal region of the Indian subcontinent
The Bengali calendar or Bangla calendar (colloquially Bāṅlā Sôn or Bāṅlā Sāl, 'Bangla Year') is a solar calendar used in the Bengal region of the Indian subcontinent. In contrast to the traditional Indian Hindu calendar, which begins with the month Chaitra, the Bengali calendar starts with Baishakh. A revised version of the calendar is officially used in Bangladesh, while this traditional version continues to be followed in the Indian states of West Bengal, Tripura, and Assam.
The Bengali calendar began in 590–600 CE to commemorate the ascension of Shashanka, the first independent king in Bengal's unified polity. The first day of the Bengali year is known as Poila Boishakh (1st of Boishakh), which is a public holiday in West Bengal, Assam and Tripura.
The Bengali era is called Bengali Sambat (BS) and has a zero year that starts in 593/594 CE. It is 594 less than the AD or CE year in the Gregorian calendar if it is before Pohela Boishakh, or 593 less if after Pohela Boishakh.
History
The Saka Era was widely used in Bengal prior to the arrival of Muslim rule in the region, according to various epigraphical evidence. The Bikrami calendar was in use by the Bengali people of the region. This calendar was named after King Vikramaditya with a zero date of 57 BCE. In rural Bengali communities, the Bengali calendar is credited to "Bikromaditto", like many other parts of India and Nepal. However, unlike these regions where it starts in 57 BCE, the modern Bangladeshi and Bengali calendar starts from 593 CE, suggesting that the starting point refers to the Bengali king Shashaka's ascent to the throne.
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