purbo

Purbo is a Bengali term that means east or eastern. It is widely used in Bengali-speaking regions to indicate the eastern direction and toponymy, appearing in speech, maps, and place names. The form Purbo derives from the Sanskrit purva, a cognate of similar words in other Indic languages that denote the east.

In everyday language, Purbo functions as a directional descriptor and as a component in place names. It is common for localities to be described as the eastern part of a town or region, and for streets, markets, or neighborhoods to adopt Purbo in their names (for example, Purbo Bazar or Purbo Para), though the exact status of such names depends on local administrative usage.

Geographically, Purbo helps distinguish neighboring areas and can be combined with other directional terms to specify positions, such as eastern directions relative to a reference point. Culturally, the term is neutral and widely understood as a straightforward geographic descriptor rather than carrying any political or symbolic meaning.

See also: East (direction); Purva; Bengali toponyms.