A Village fair is a colorful exhibition held in a particular place of the village with shows and entertainments. It is a small but colorful exhibition held periodically in a particular place in the village. It is a traditional part of culture and civilization.
A village fair is generally held in an open space. Sometimes, it is held on the bank of a river or near a temple. The occasion may be religious or cultural according to the tradition of the local people. It may be held on the occasion of Chaitra Sankranti or Muharram or Durga Puja. Nowadays, Baishakhi Mela is being held in many parts of the country. The things that attract all kinds of people including the children are exhibited and sold there. It acts as a market for cottage industries and encourages the artisans, craftsmen, potters, weavers, and cultivators. Handicraft goods occupy an important place in the fair. The crowd is very large and there reigns a deafening noise.
Men and women of all ages and particularly the children find great delight in visiting the village fair. Various articles are sold, in the fair. Of them, dolls, fancy goods, sweets, and stationery goods are very attractive to the villagers. Clothes of various kinds, ready-made garments, cheap fancy goods, clay pots, whistles, bamboo flutes, toys, dolls, utensils, cheap sweets, cosmetics, etc. have the greatest demand in the fair. The rural craftsman and artisans exhibit and sell their handmade goods. Circus parties, magic shows, and merry-go-rounds are the special attractions of a village fair.
The special attraction of the village fair is its circus party, traveling jatra party, nagordolas and magic shows. Nowadays cinema parties also show films to the village people. All these keep them spell-bound till the fair ends. It is also a meeting ground for the old and the young, the rich and the poor. Undoubtedly, the fair brings immense pleasure to the villagers and gives them relaxed moments from every day’s toilsome life. A village fair is a means’ of recreation change and social get-together of the village people. It breaks the monotony and boredom of their life. The government should encourage the fairs as they help the development of rural arts and crafts. With all this, a village fair is a great charm to the village people.
Thus a village fair plays a very important role in the rural life of our country. But some evil practices including gambling in the fair must be discouraged. Sometimes pick-pockets and criminals gather in the fair and commit various kinds of evil deeds. Overall a village fair is an occasion of great joy and excitement among the villagers. It removes the monotony of village life. It bears the testimony of the tradition.
