Poila Boishakh 2021: In Pics, The Bengali New Year Amid Covid

Pohela Boishakh is being observed today. Here are images of how people marked Pohela Boishakh amid the Covid pandemic

Poila Boishakh or the Bengali New Year was observed this year amid a raging pandemic in the country. This is the second straight year that people spent Poila Boishakh in the shadow of Covid-19. The usual enthusiasm, colour and fervour were missing as infections and the number of deaths climbed on Thursday in many parts of the country. Twitter was flooded with Shubho Nabo Barsho greetings. Pictures, messages and gifs posted on social media by political leaders, celebs and others added some colour to the Nabo Barsho. Here's how Poila Boishakh looked amid the horrible pandemic.  Temples in various parts of West Bengal including Kolkata saw fewer people than earlier years. The morning pujas were done by priests but people avoided turning up early to watch the first sunrise of the year. Later in the day, many were seen flouting norms of maintaining social distance at temples and markets.