Poila Boishakh 2026 (Bengali New Year)
Part of Sanhoti’s Poila Boishakh- When
- Where
- Norman P. Murray Community & Senior Center · 24932 Veterans Way · Mission Viejo, CA · 92692Open in Google Maps →
- Entry
- Free to attend
Sanhoti welcomed the Bengali New Year — Poila Boishakh — at the Norman P. Murray Community & Senior Center in Mission Viejo, Orange County.
Poila Boishakh marks the first day of the Bengali calendar and is the biggest secular celebration of the Bengali year. It belongs to everyone: no ritual requirement, no religious gatekeeping, just a shared new beginning marked with new clothes, good food and music. Traditionally families greet each other with "Shubho Nabobarsho" and businesses open their halkhata, the new ledger.
The evening ran a full Bengali New Year dinner with a choice of veg or non-veg thali. The vegetarian side brought veg momo, kaju kishmish pulao, naan, daal makhani, paneer lababdar and malpoa; the non-veg side chicken momo, chicken rezala and chingri malaikari, with the same pulao, naan and malpoa. A special mocktail was served to everyone.
Alongside the food ran a grand cultural programme by kids and adults — live music including Rabindra Sangeet and adhunik, dance and recitation.
Red-and-white is customary for Poila Boishakh, and much of the hall wore it. Families joined from Mission Viejo, Irvine, Rancho Santa Margarita, Lake Forest, Aliso Viejo and across Orange County — and guests of every background were welcome.
Highlights
The Bengali New Year
Poila Boishakh — the biggest secular celebration of the Bengali year, a shared new beginning for everyone.
A full New Year dinner
A choice of veg or non-veg thali, from kaju kishmish pulao and paneer lababdar to chicken rezala and chingri malaikari.
Cultural programme
Live Rabindra Sangeet and adhunik, dance and recitation by kids and adults.
Wear red and white
The customary colours of Poila Boishakh; guests of every background welcome.
Food & menu
Nobo Borsho Dinner
5:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Veg
- Veg Momo
- Kaju Kishmish Pulao
- Naan
- Daal Makhani
- Paneer Lababdar
- Malpoa
Non-Veg
- Chicken Momo
- Kaju Kishmish Pulao
- Naan
- Chicken Rezala
- Chingri Malaikari
- Malpoa
Drinks
- Special Mocktail
Tell us about any allergies in advance and we will do our best to accommodate.
Photos
A few moments from the day — tap through to the full gallery.
Common questions
- When is Poila Boishakh celebrated?
- Poila Boishakh, the Bengali New Year, falls in mid-April each year (usually 14 or 15 April). Sanhoti schedules its Orange County celebration on the nearest weekend so families can attend.
- Is Poila Boishakh a religious festival?
- No. It is a secular cultural celebration of the Bengali New Year, welcoming people of every background, faith and nationality.
- What food is served?
- A full Bengali New Year dinner with a choice of veg or non-veg thali — veg momo, kaju kishmish pulao, naan, daal makhani and paneer lababdar, or chicken momo, chicken rezala and chingri malaikari, with malpoa to finish.