The Poush Mela was held at the Kalibari Mandir grounds on January 26th, on the occasion of Basant Panchami. This famous winter fair and festival is celebrated in the month of Poush (the winter month according to the Hindu calendar).
A beautiful idol of Goddess Saraswati was unveiled, and devotees lined up to offer prayers for the aarti. Women were dressed in beautiful sarees, and many men chose to wear kurta-pyjamas. One saw little girls too, dressed in sarees, and parents were busy taking pictures. Some children had brought their books and stationery, and the pujari was welcoming them onto the stage to take blessings from the Goddess of Knowledge. Traditionally, students would write on a slate with chalk and offer it to Maa Saraswati. This is called Hathe Khori, and it is the ceremony that is performed to introduce education to young children. This is considered a major milestone for kids and is also known as the first writing ceremony. One saw many parents buy a packet of stationery that had a slate, a whiteboard, and sketch pens in it.
A mini-fair was also organized, which saw many stalls selling handicrafts, sarees, jewellery, etc. There were many stalls offering books in Bengali, Hindi, and English for sale, which attracted many children and parents alike. The biggest surprise was seeing the stall of the famed Sahitya Akademi, which was offering its publications.
A cultural programme of music, dance, and plays was held over the two days. Programmes were lined up for the day, and one could see young girls and ladies dressed up in beautiful sarees with kohl-lined eyes and altaa-smeared hands gearing up for their turn to perform on the stage. Think music and dance from the soul and the soil, and this is where one could get it. The entire atmosphere was mesmerising and intoxicating. Thank you, Noida Bengali Cultural Association (NBCA), for bringing another facet of Bengal to our sector.
