Moving to Behala in 1998, Ananda Mela was one fair I always visited because no child in my neighbourhood ever missed it. The fair is held every year, celebrating Basanta, the spring season. I visited the mela on Raja Rammohan Roy Road recently after 15 years, and realised that while some change is inevitable, the emotions remain the same
Photos: Jaismita Alexander
Locals and the organisers I spoke to didn’t really know how old this annual celebration was. But everyone I spoke to recalled coming to the fair with their grandparents and parents. The mela, back in the late ’90s and early 2000s was held in Barisha Math, then, for some years at Manmohan Park. For the last five years, it has shifted to Swamiji Sarak
The ‘pithe’ stall caught my eye first. ‘Ashun, kheye jaan Nadia-r shushadu pithe’ — a woman's voice on the loudspeaker called out. A man and a woman smiled at me from behind the table that had a tray of Dudh Puli and Patishapta. The empty trays lying on the side showed that their ‘pithes’ were delicious indeed
Moving on, I came across Midnapore Shilpo Mandir’s stall. The stall had big glass jars brimming with all kinds of spicy, tangy and sweet pickles. This one stall thrives at any fair. I remember getting tasting samples on a small wooden stick as a child before we decided on what to buy. The offerings at the stall were pretty much the same, except the array of fancy candies kept in front to lure the new generation
