On Bengali New Year's Eve, Bengalis visit the Kalighat temple to offer prayers. Holy places like Dakshineswar and Belur also witness a surge in the number of devotees. Families clean and decorate their houses to prepare for the occasion.
For many, the day begins by taking a holy dip early in the morning, preferably just before dawn, in the Ganges or any other equivalent river that's considered holy. People dress up in traditional attire— kurtas and pajamas for men and sarees for men. Most apparel shops roll out "Chaitra Sale" or the end-of-year sale a month before Poila Baishakh.
