A village fair is a great event in the life of the villagers. In some villages, it is held on particular festive occasions like the ‘Pohela Baisakh’ (বাংলা নববর্ষ). It gathers on fixed sites. Such fairs take more or less the turn of a ‘bazaar’. The ‘Paush-mela’ is also a very important village fair. It usually sits in the central part of the village or on the bank of a river or at the marketplace or in the yard of a temple. A village fair is also held to commemorate the death of a saint or an ascetic person of the village. It gathers around his ‘Mazar’ or monumental graveyard. Such a fair is very solemn. However, the day of the fair is a day of great rejoicing. Traders from different places come to the fair and set up their temporary shops. They colorfully decorate their shops and put on display their articles to sell. These are relatively cheap fancy goods that attract the young boys and girls most. Other things that lure the children are muri, Binni, Khoi and varieties of candies and sweetmeats. Earthenware’s, dolls, furniture, clothes, garments, and many other things are also put up for sale. The women get their earthen utensils and wooden equipment bought from the fair. A village fair is also a place of joy and fun. A village fair becomes crowded in the afternoon. Magicians, circus parties and opera bands also put up their tents in a village fair and add to the joy and delight of the people. Everybody waits for this annual event with great hope and attends it with profound pleasure. It brings a valuable change in the life of the villagers. It broadens their things and inspires them.
A Village Fair
