Santiniketan welcomes alternative Poush Mela with new vigour
Art, craft, food, rides jostle for space at Bolpur heritage fair on Dakbungalow ground
By
Saptaparno Roy |
Published 27.12.22, 02:01 PM
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Santiniketan’s traditional Poush Mela — marred by the Covid-induced pandemic and many other controversies in the past two years — has made a comeback of sorts under a new name this year, Bolpur-Santiniketan Poush Mela, 2022, at the Dakbungalow ground. The six-day fair this time offers handmade art and craft, fabric, paintings, tons of intricate artwork besides a wide array of sip-and-bite options. Various cultural programmes showcasing the culture of Bolpur Santiniketan are also keeping visitors entertained. On December 23, Kolkata mayor and minister of urban development and municipal affairs and housing Firhad Hakim inaugurated (in picture above) the modified version of the heritage fair started by Maharshi Debendranath Tagore, father of Rabindranath Tagore, in 1894 to promote produce of rural Santiniketan art and craft before the urban populace
All images by Saptaparno Roy
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The smaller size of the new fair ground has not compromised on the famous artwork and handicraft of Santiniketan on sale this time though such stalls are not in hundreds as in pre-Covid years
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The Dokra form of art is yet another unique attraction for tourists in Santiniketan
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Santiniketan stands out from other tourist spots in West Bengal because of its tranquility which permits artists to create art with a free mind. My Kolkata spotted this young artist sketching away even in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the fair
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A sadhu was spotted grabbing the attention of fair visitors through assurances of accurate fortune-telling. He was also seen performing several feats with the ‘trishul’ and the ‘dugdugi’
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The paan stalls at the mela gave been a real game changer offering the likes of fire paan, ice paan, chocolate paan and many more. Amused visitors were seen trying them out. But the fire paan was the most fascinating with patrons capturing videos to post for those social media posts
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Jaina Shilpa Mandir, best known for its tasty dalim (anardana) and hojmi golis, has been a constant at the Santiniketan Poush Mela. Other sweet-sour delicacies such as achaar (myriad varieties of pickles) and masala papad are also much sought-after by visitors to the fair
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Christmas decorations too were being sold at the fair. Students of Visva-Bharati University observed ‘Khristautsav’ on December 25 evening in the hallowed Upasana Griha.
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Peacock feather sellers have been doing brisk business. One marked change though — from the stalls, the feather sellers have been relegated to peddling all around the fairground
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Tangy phuchkas strike an emotional chord with all people transcending barriers of gender, age and communities. The sheer love for phuchkas has returned to the corners of Poush Mela
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My Kolkata saw the rides section filled with people, especially kids and young adults. Visitors were enjoying Giant Electric Wheel, Tora Tora, The Hammer, The Break Dance and many others
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Sweetmeats and fast food are synonymous with fairs in Bengal and Poush Mela is no exception. Several fast-food corners mushrooming across the Dakbungalow ground have been drawing food connoisseurs since morning. A tad sad part is many big names have preferred to stay away from this year’s mela
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The Gathhiya Bhaja is also one of the most loved delicacies in Bengal, made popular by local street peddlers. The seller and his wife were selling the deep fried snack
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The Burir Chul or cotton candy lured the kids, who dragged their parents to the stall. Candy floss is another item whose patrons have no particular age. Chaat and spicy snack corners made up almost half of all food stalls at the fair
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The security arrangements at Poush Mela seemed tight. The Police Association of Bolpur, which is an initiative of the Municipality of Bolpur (Santiniketan), smoothly handled everything at the fair
