Showpieces with motifs of pharaoh at the Egyptian stall

Bidhannagar Mela (Utsav) 2014 has started at Central Park and will be on till February 9. The fair that was inaugurated on January 18 has brought more than 250 stalls, 100 kiosks and even some foreign sellers.

Women will be spoilt for choice in lanes where every stall on either side is stocked with saris from around the country, and even Bangladesh. There are matka silks from Phulia, khadi silks from Bhagalpur, cotton ikkats from Sambalpur and Pashmina shawls and stoles from Kashmir.

The Pakistani stalls display fountains and vases made of onyx

The fair unleashes several new designs of jewellery too. The Ambika’z stall sells big, colourful feather earrings the vendors claim are feathers of macaws and other birds. “They are all imported from Australia,” says a vendor. Harun Debnath of Gariahat sells massive rings with animal print motifs and bead necklaces with suede finish. “My range is from Rs 10 for earrings up to Rs 1,500 for American diamond bracelets,” says Debnath. Other stalls sell dainty rings shaped like butterflies and chunky rings shaped like spiders, that are not for the faint-hearted.

“I have bought jewellery and show pieces for four of my friends today and finished all my money. I’ll have to come back again to buy something for myself,” laughed Arundhati Dey, a resident of Beleghata.

The Navkar outlet from Rajasthan sells glass lampshades, antique-looking station clocks and Polyresin models of motorbikes that cost Rs 300.

Children’s blankets featuring cartoon characters at Seagull Collection

There are stalls selling jute bags and shoes, furniture and sofa upholstery. Varanasi Handloom Carpets is giving 20 per off on a new carpet if you exchange it with an old one.

Seagull Collection has an attractive range of children’s blankets featuring characters like Chhota Bheem, Doraemon and Krrish 3. “These are ‘dohar’ blankets which are very light and can be used around the year. The fastest selling blankets are of Chhota Bheem and Barbie,” says Sanchita Ghosh. Single-bed blankets cost Rs 650 and double-bed ones Rs 850.

Wall hangings at the Egypt counter. Pictures by Saradindu Chaudhury

Exercise machines and cooking gadgets, as seen on tele-shopping shows, are rampant. “Salt Lake breeds many mosquitoes and we have got a shutter-type mosquito net that can be slid down your window in the evenings. It’s more convenient than the velcro-enabled netlons,” smiles Dinesh Rathi. The device costs Rs 1,850 for a 3-ft x 4.5-ft window.

Long wooden masks at the Ghana counter

Stalls from the districts lure you with tangy pickles and churan, and food stalls sell all from momos and chilli chicken to pithe-puli. For children there are toy shops, magic shops, rides galore and even a 3D show depicting dinosaurs and snakes. The 12-minute show costs Rs 30 and the screen is opposite the Ferris wheel.

Tea-lovers are flocking to the Chamong organic and green tea stall where they’re getting to taste and buy tea of unusual flavours. “Our teas are produced in Darjeeling. Under our green teas we have flavours like basil, lemon and mint flavours and under black tea we have chocolate, earl grey and masala flavours,” said Sudhindra Nath Das. Several visitors were seen returning for a cuppa of the chocolate-flavoured tea.

Among foreign stalls, Pakistan has returned with onyx furniture and flower vases, Turkey with exquisite lampshades, evil-eye key chains and wall hangings and Ghana with wooden masks and camel bone keychains and bottle-openers. Egypt has brought some new showpieces in the form of sphinx, pyramids, magnets and stone jewellery.

Actor Dev performed at the fair on Tuesday drawing hordes of on-lookers. He danced to his hit songs like Bhojo Gourango and Le paglu dance. (Saradindu Chaudhury)

But visitors and stall-keepers are suffering from fair fatigue. “After two back-to-back fairs at Central Park, I’m not confident about business here this year,” says a vendor selling junk jewellery, who had also participated in Sabola Mela that ended less than a week before Bidhannagar Mela began. “It’s the same faces coming back but I don’t have new designs to offer them so soon.”

Customers are confused. “I had come for what I thought was Bidhannagar Mela two weeks ago and bought a lot of stuff. This fair too is good,” said Arup Banerjee of Gariahat, mistaking a previous fair for Bidhannagar Mela. He could not name the fair he had come to attend.

Official word

Bidhannagar Mela is being organised by the municipality and at the inauguration, civic chief Krishna Chakraborty announced that proceeds from the fair would go to build Rabindra Angan in FE Block. “We have earned Rs 2 crore over the last two years that we have been running this fair and this year’s profit too shall be added to that fund,” she said.

The inauguration was attended by a slew of ministers like Subrata Mukherjee, Bratya Basu, Arup Biswas and Jyotipriyo Mullick and actors like Hiran, Sampurna and Ronita Das. Actor Dev danced on Tuesday and more star-studdeed performances are lined up (see box).

Ashesh Mukherjee, a chairman-in-council member of Bidhannagar Municipality, said they are paying the stars an honorarium for their appearances. “Whether the budget for this year has risen or fallen can only be determined after the fair ends,” he said.

The fair is open from 2pm to 9pm and entry is free.

On stage

• January 25- Jatra Brajer Bansuri at 7pm
• January 28- Performance by singer Zubeen Garg at 7.30pm
• January 29- Antakshari, quiz in the morning; performance by Debyojoti Mishra, Indrani Sen (right) from 7.30pm
• January 26- Children’s day. A sit-and-draw competition will be held.
• January 29- Women’s day. A cooking contest and talent hunt will take place.
• February 1- Dog show at Municipal Sports Complex opposite Bikash Bhavan
• February 3-5- Flower show at the fair

To join, enrol at the Mela office

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