Poush Mela - Revision history

Estella97P at 11:56, 11 December 2025

2025-12-11T11:56:31Z

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{short description|annual fair and festival in Santiniketan, West Bengal, India}}
+{{Short description|Annual fair and festival in Santiniketan, West Bengal, India}}
 {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2018}}
 {{Use Indian English|date=December 2018}}
@@ Line 5: / Line 5: @@
 [[File:Poush Mela Bazaar 2012.jpg|thumb|220px|Poush Mela Bazaar, 2012]]
 [[File:An Exhibition at Poush Mela 2018.jpg|thumb|220px|An exhibition at Poush Mela, 2018]]
-[[File:Giant Circle at Poush Mela.jpg|thumb|220px|Giant Circle at Posh Mela]]
+[[File:Giant Circle at Poush Mela.jpg|thumb|220px|Ferris wheel at Poush Mela]]
 [[File:A stall display at Poush Mela-Santiniketan-West Bengal.jpg|thumb|A stall display at Poush Mela-Santiniketan-West Bengal]]
-'''Poush Mela''' ({{lang-bn|পৌষ মেলা}}) is an annual fair and festival that takes place in [[Santiniketan]], in [[Birbhum District]] in the [[India]]n [[States and territories of India|state]] of [[West Bengal]], marking the harvest season. Commencing on the 7th day of the month of [[Poush]], the fair officially lasts for three days, although vendors may stay until the month-end as per the university regulations. From 2017 onwards the fair lasted for six days. The key characteristic of this fair include live performances of [[Folk music|Bengali folk music]], such as [[baul]],<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.wbtourism.com/fairs_festivals/festival_bengal.htm | title = Poush Mela | access-date = 2009-02-14 | publisher = West Bengal Tourism | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20010222105932/http://www.wbtourism.com/fairs_festivals/festival_bengal.htm | archive-date = 22 February 2001 | url-status = dead }}</ref> [[kirtan]] and [[Kobi Gaan|Kobigan]].
+'''Poush Mela''' ({{langx|bn|পৌষ মেলা}}) is an annual fair and festival that takes place in [[Santiniketan]], in [[Birbhum District]] in the [[India]]n [[States and territories of India|state]] of [[West Bengal]], marking the harvest season. Commencing on the 7th day of the month of [[Poush]], the fair officially lasts for three days, although vendors may stay until the month-end as per the university regulations. From 2017 onwards, the fair lasted for six days. The key characteristic of this fair include live performances of [[Folk music|Bengali folk music]], such as [[baul]],<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.wbtourism.com/fairs_festivals/festival_bengal.htm | title = Poush Mela | access-date = 2009-02-14 | publisher = West Bengal Tourism | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20010222105932/http://www.wbtourism.com/fairs_festivals/festival_bengal.htm | archive-date = 22 February 2001 | url-status = dead }}</ref> [[kirtan]] and [[Kobi Gaan|Kobigan]].
 ==Background==
@@ Line 22: / Line 56: @@
 ==Other days==
-Poush Mela is characterized by the live performances of Bengali folk music, especially the baul music. It includes folk songs, dances and tribal sports. This fair offers a perfect insight of the true heritage of the state. The students of Santiniketan present their magnificent performance and make this festival more enjoyable and glamorous. Each day of this festival is filled with different activities. The last day of this fair is devoted to those who are related to Santiniketan.
+Poush Mela is characterized by the live performances of Bengali folk music, especially the baul music. It includes folk songs, dances and tribal sports. Each day of this festival is filled with different activities. The last day of this fair is devoted to those who are related to Santiniketan.
 ==The fair==
@@ Line 45: / Line 79: @@
 [[Category:Festivals in West Bengal]]
 [[Category:Cultural festivals in India]]
-[[Category:Bengali culture]]
+[[Category:Culture of Bengal]]
 [[Category:Birbhum district]]
 [[Category:Santiniketan]]

->Prajjwal3959: image add up #WPWP

2021-07-02T10:24:43Z

image add up #WPWP

New page

{{short description|annual fair and festival in Santiniketan, West Bengal, India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2018}}
[[File:Baul Song at Poush Mela 2018.jpg|thumb|220px|Baul song at Poush Mela, 2018]]
[[File:Poush Mela Bazaar 2012.jpg|thumb|220px|Poush Mela Bazaar, 2012]]
[[File:An Exhibition at Poush Mela 2018.jpg|thumb|220px|An exhibition at Poush Mela, 2018]]
[[File:Giant Circle at Poush Mela.jpg|thumb|220px|Giant Circle at Posh Mela]]
[[File:A stall display at Poush Mela-Santiniketan-West Bengal.jpg|thumb|A stall display at Poush Mela-Santiniketan-West Bengal]]
'''Poush Mela''' ({{lang-bn|পৌষ মেলা}}) is an annual fair and festival that takes place in [[Santiniketan]], in [[Birbhum District]] in the [[India]]n [[States and territories of India|state]] of [[West Bengal]], marking the harvest season. Commencing on the 7th day of the month of [[Poush]], the fair officially lasts for three days, although vendors may stay until the month-end as per the university regulations. From 2017 onwards the fair lasted for six days. The key characteristic of this fair include live performances of [[Folk music|Bengali folk music]], such as [[baul]],<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.wbtourism.com/fairs_festivals/festival_bengal.htm | title = Poush Mela | access-date = 2009-02-14 | publisher = West Bengal Tourism | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20010222105932/http://www.wbtourism.com/fairs_festivals/festival_bengal.htm | archive-date = 22 February 2001 | url-status = dead }}</ref> [[kirtan]] and [[Kobi Gaan|Kobigan]].

==Background==
[[Devendranath Tagore]] with twenty followers accepted the [[Brahmo Samaj|Brahmo]] creed from [[Ram Chandra Vidyabagish]] on 21 December 1843 (7 Poush 1250 according to the Bengali calendar). This was the basis of ''Poush Utsav'' (the Festival of Poush) at Santiniketan<ref name="Basak">Basak, Tapan Kumar, ''Rabindranath-Santiniketan-Sriniketan (An Introduction)'', p. 36, B.B.Publication</ref>

A ''Brahma mandir'' was established at Santiniketan on 21 December 1891 (7 Poush 1298 according to the Bengali calendar). A small fair was organised in 1894 in connection with the establishment anniversary of the ''Brahma mandir'', in the ground opposite the mandir. What started as a small homely Poush Mela now attracts attention of not only the people of [[Birbhum district]] but tourists from all around.<ref>Ghosh, Swapan Kumar, ''Santiniketan-Visva Bharati – Birbhumer Srestha Tirtha'', ''Paschim Banga'', February 2006, (in Bengali), Birbhum special issue, p. 250, Information and Culture department, Govt. of West Bengal</ref>

From 1894 onwards, the Poush Mela has been organized every year. However it has been put on halt for three times due to the [[Bengal famine of 1943|Bengal Famine of 1943]], [[Direct Action Day|Direct Action Day of 1946]] and the [[COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Patrika|first=Anandabazar|date=Nov 9, 2020|title=Poush Mela of Santiniketan will not be organized.|url=https://www.anandabazar.com/state/this-year-poush-mela-of-shantiniketan-will-be-not-organize-dgtld-1.1226499}}</ref>

In earlier days the ''mela'' (fair) was held in the ground on the north side of ''Brahma mandir'' (also referred to as glass temple). On that day, a firework display was held in earlier days after evening prayers. As the ''mela'' increased in size, it was shifted to the field in Purbapalli.

==Inauguration==
Poush Utsav is inaugurated on 7 Poush (around 23 December). At dawn, Santiniketan wakes up to the soft music of [[shehnai]]. The first to enter the scenario is the Vaitalik group, who go round the ashrama (hermitage) singing songs. It is followed by a prayer-meeting at Chhatimtala. Then the entire congregation moves on to Uttarayan singing songs.<ref name="Basak" />

==Other days==
Poush Mela is characterized by the live performances of Bengali folk music, especially the baul music. It includes folk songs, dances and tribal sports. This fair offers a perfect insight of the true heritage of the state. The students of Santiniketan present their magnificent performance and make this festival more enjoyable and glamorous. Each day of this festival is filled with different activities. The last day of this fair is devoted to those who are related to Santiniketan.

==The fair==
Some 1,500 stalls take part in the fair.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/poush-mela-to-start-from-dec-23/253169/| title = Poush Mela to start from Dec 23| access-date = 2009-02-14| publisher = Financial Express, 22 December 2007| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071223035919/http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Poush-Mela-to-start-from-Dec-23/253169/| archive-date = 23 December 2007| url-status = dead}}</ref> The number of tourists pouring in for the three-day fair is around 10,000.<ref>{{cite web | url =http://indiantourism.wordpress.com/2007/12/24/poush-mela-in-shantiniketan/ | title = Poush Mela in Santiniketan| access-date = 2009-02-14 | publisher =Indian Tourism}}</ref> Government statistics put the daily inflow of tourists in to Santiniketan at around 3,500 per day; but during major festival such as Pous Utsav, Basanta Utsav, Rabindra Paksha, and Naba Barsha it goes up to an average 40,000 per day or more. Obviously, many of them do stay back in Santiniketan, which has 85 lodges with accommodation for 1,650. Beside of this, room on rent can be hired for some days.<ref name="gov">{{cite web | url= http://birbhum.gov.in/birtour4.htm | title = Santiniketan-Bolpur | access-date = 2009-03-05 }}</ref>

Local printed fabrics and handicrafts are available in the stalls erected during the fair. Besides materials of household interest, toys are also available here. Various food stalls are also found.

== See also ==
* [[Visva-Bharati University]]
* [[Jaydev Kenduli]]
* [[Fairs in Birbhum]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
* {{Wikivoyage-inline|Santiniketan}}
{{Culture of West Bengal}}
{{Birbhum topics}}

[[Category:Festivals in West Bengal]]
[[Category:Cultural festivals in India]]
[[Category:Bengali culture]]
[[Category:Birbhum district]]
[[Category:Santiniketan]]
[[Category:Harvest festivals in India]]
[[Category:Folk festivals in India]]
[[Category:Fairs in India]]