Poush Mela: What Are the Major Attractions of Mela?

Event
By Madhav Gupta
Poush Mela

West Bengal is one of the Indian states that is known for its rich culture, which can be seen in its dances, music, handicrafts, paintings, and carvings. If you are interested in these things or want to see them for yourself, Poush Mela is the right place for you.

The festival is a country fair that takes place on the Shantiniketan Mela grounds in Bolpur, Birbhum District. The festival is also called Bolpur Poush Mela because of this. The event happens every year in December, which is Poush Month in the Bengali calendar.

Poush Mela 2022 Dates

Before 2017, the festival was only held for three days. In 2017, it was changed to last for six days. But the Poush Mela 2022 is also set to last for three days, just like it did last year. From December 24 to December 26, 2022, the Poush Mela will take place.

Dates 24 Dec to 26 Dec 2022
Location Santiniketan, Birbhum district in West Bengal
Famous For Dance & Music
Nearest Airport Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport is 139 km away from Santiniketan
Nearest Railway Station Bolpur railway station is 2-3 km away from Santiniketan

The do also shows the real culture and spirit of Bengal by having a lot of life and people who are excited about it. Everyone who is either taking part in the celebration or has just come to check out the vibes is very excited.

READ MORE: Will the U.A. Traitor Arc Be Covered in My Hero Academia Season 6? Explained

University students, locals, and artists all come together at the Mela to perform different kinds of cultural dances that keep people coming back for more. Every day of the fair has something different to offer, in addition to the delicious Bengali food and treats.

History Of Poush Mela 2022

Maharshi Devendranath Tagore, a great religious reformer and Hindu philosopher, started the small town of Shantiniketan. His son, Rabindranath Tagore, who won the Nobel Prize, expanded it.

It is the same place that is known as the center of the idea that there is only one God, or monotheism, in Hinduism. It was researched and taught here.

Devendranath Tagore, who started it, was also an active member of the Bengali Renaissance Movement. He was also the person who started the Brahmo Samaj.

READ MORE: Lama Tsongkhapa Day 2022: All Information That You Want to Need About It!

The cultural reformer joined the Brahmo religion on December 21, 1843. According to the Bengali calendar, this happened on the 7th day of the Poush month. Later, this day was chosen as the Poush Utsav holiday. Now, a fair is held every year at this time in the small town of Shantiniketan to celebrate the same thing.

Major Attractions

  • Poush Utsav is kicked off. On the seventh day of the month of Poush in Shantiniketan, there is a ceremony to start the Mela. After that, the Vaitalik Group walks around the town singing folk songs to entertain the people who live there. After that, they gather at Chhatimtala for a prayer, which is the last step in the inauguration process.
  • Folk music and dance from Bangladesh. One could see different types of folk dances and music being performed. Some of the local dances that artists perform at this Mela are Baul, Purulia, Santhali, and Mundari.
  •  Stalls. At the Shantiniketan Poush Mela, there are about 1,500 stalls selling things like handicrafts, fabrics, and household items like home decoration items, Tasar Textile, jute products, wood and cane products, brass wares, conch-shell, terracotta, masks, and many more.
  • A food party. How could someone miss Bengal’s food culture? You can get anything you want, from sweet to spicy. It is the perfect mix of rural culture and modern life, which makes it even more special and bright to look at. Bengali cuisine has a lot of tasty dishes, such as Aloo Potol Posto, Shukto, Sandesh, Alur Dom, etc.
  • An exhibit. Bengalis are known for their handicrafts, art, painting, poetry, and so much more. With their beautiful handlooms, handicrafts, etc., one can step into the world of creativity.

How To Reach

You have to go to this place, and you should come here at least once in your life. Shantiniketan, which is in the Birbhum district, is where you need to go to see the Poush Mela. Here are different ways to get from one place to another.

By Air. Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport, which is also known as Kolkata Airport, is the closest. Kolkata, which is the capital of West Bengal, is where the airport is. About 165 kilometers separate this place from Shantiniketan. The airport is easy to get to from both inside and outside of India.

When you get to the airport, it’s easy to take a bus or call a taxi to get to Shantiniketan. It will take about two to three hours to get there.

READ MORE: A $6.5 Million Bank Property Deal Could Bring a Boutique Icona Hotel to a  Jersey Shore Town.

By train, the closest stops are Kopai Railway Station (1 km), Bolpur S Niketan Railway Station (2 km), and Prantik Railway Station (3 km). These train stations serve not only Shantiniketan but also the areas around it. There are also direct trains from Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Bengaluru to Bolpur.

These trains are called ANVT SDAH Exp, Karmbhoomi Exp, Shatabdi Exp, and New Tinsukia Exp. If you’re coming from another city in India, you have to get off the train at the Kolkata Railway Station in Belgachia. Then you can take local trains to get to these nearby train stations.

By Road. Shantiniketan has a good road system that works well for both nearby and faraway parts of the city. A road trip from a city too far away can be a bit too tiring, but you can drive from Kolkata to Shantiniketan, which is about 165 kilometers and takes about 3–4 hours.

Madhav Gupta 1457 posts 0 comments

Madhav Gupta is a dexterous writer who puts his heart and soul into his work. He has been working as a content editor at Jerseyshorevibe for the last 1 year. He loves to spread his knowledge, which he gains through newspaper magazines and the internet.

You might also like More from author

Comments are closed.