A Visit to a Village Fair
A fair that is held in the village is called a village fair. A village fair is an exhibition of handicrafts and agricultural products made by the rural folk. It is a traditional occasion of village life. It sits in an open field or in the marketplace. Every year a fair is held at Daulatpur, a village in Serajgonj. It is generally held on the occasion of a religious festival or on the Bengali new year’s day.
Last year, I, along with two other friends, paid a visit to this fair. Men and children from all walks of life gathered there. All the people from neighboring villages came to the fair. There was a hue and cry. The noise of the surrounding place was deafening. The crowd was, indeed, so large that we had to make’ our way with great difficulty from one stall to another. There were different kinds of stalls here, there and everywhere. The fair was held in a large field under the open sky. The stalls were made in tents. This fair is held once a year. It is very important and attractive for the villagers, especially for the children. Villagers wait eagerly and take preparation for a village fair long time before the start of a village fair.
We were amazed to see the hand-made things. Rural artisans and craftsmen brought various useful articles and offered for sale. Some stalls were selling fancy goods, some were selling toys, some were spices, while some were metal utensils or stationery articles. Agricultural products, grocery, and seasonal fruits were also sold at the fair. Among the fancy goods, there were dolls, ribbons, whistles, fans, magic wares, small looking-glasses, etc were being sold. I enjoyed the puppet shows and magic shows. There were many shops. They sold different things. I bought candy, balloons, earthen pots, wooden toys, etc. The most crowded shops and stalls were the sweetmeats ones. Children were especially attracted to the stalls of toys. Children buy toys, kites, flutes, and sweetmeats from the village fair. We were charmed to see the earthenwares and wooden articles.
In another part of the fair, we saw arrangements for amusement. There are some special attractions in the village fair. The most attractive items are circus parties, Jatra parties, puppet shows, magic shows, etc. We found the circus show, magic show, puppet show, and Jatra-party. The largest crowd gathered around the place where jugglers showed their feats. But in the corner of another part, some people were busy with gambling. This site, to some extent, filled our minds with dissatisfaction. In spite of having some demerits, it has some educational and traditional values. The life of the villagers is usually dull & monotonous. Once a year the fair breaks the monotony & adds joy to their life. It bears the testimony of the tradition.
Villagers usually long for such an occasion. It creates a ripple of joy all around. The Government should encourage such kind of fair for the promotion of rural art and craft. Therefore, the Government should encourage fairs under careful management. At last, we left the fair with a happy mood.
