Nature-Focused Festivals
Briksharopan and Halakarshan:These festivals, celebrating tree planting and ploughing, reflect Shantiniketan's deep connection to the environment and agriculture.
Maghotsav, Varsha Mangal:Other festivals like Maghotsav and Varsha Mangal (a monsoon festival) are also celebrated.
Cultural and Artistic Festivities
Poush Mela:This is an annual fair held in December, marking the harvest season with a vibrant display of folk art, music, and local traditions.
Basanta Utsav:Also known as Holi or Dol Utsav, this festival celebrates the arrival of spring with music, dance, recitations, and colorful powder (abirs), unique to Shantiniketan's style.
Rabindra Jayanti:This annual event honors the birth anniversary of the founder, Rabindranath Tagore.
Saraswati Puja:The festival of the goddess of knowledge and arts is celebrated with colorful parades and worship at the Visva-Bharati University.
Nandan Mela:This festival focuses on artistic expression and provides a platform for young artists.
Key Aspects of Shantiniketan's Festivals
Tagore's Influence:Many of the festivals were started by Rabindranath Tagore to foster a love for nature and a strong cultural identity.
Student Participation:Students play a significant role in the celebrations, participating in performances like dance, music, and recitations.
Focus on Art and Nature:The festivities are a unique blend of cultural practices, artistic expression, and a deep appreciation for the natural environment.
Poush Mela
Time: 7th Poush (Bengali Calender) – December
Poush Mela is an annual fair and festival that takes place in Santiniketan, marking the harvest season. Commencing on the 7th day of the month of Poush(December), the fair officially lasts for three days, although vendors may stay up until the month-end. The key characteristic of this fair are live performances of Bengali folk music, notably baul music. At Tagore’s behest, the annual Poush utsav became an important cultural event where students and teachers of his school took active part. Poush Mela, therefore, becomes a meeting ground for urban people and rural folk. Rural artisans bring their wares like batik printed materials, leather bags, earthen wares, paintings, etc to the fair while their urban relatives set up stalls for the rurals to buy new industrially produced goods.
Background
Devendranath Tagore with twenty followers accepted the Brahmo creed from Ram Chandra Vidyabagish on 21 December 1843 (7 Poush 1250 according to the Bengali calendar). This was the basis of Poush Utsav (the Festival of Poush) at Santiniketan
A Brahmo mandir was established at Santiniketan on 21 December 1891 (7 Poush 1298 according to the Bengali calendar). A small fair was organised in 1894 in connection with the establishment anniversary of the Brahmo mandir, in the ground opposite the mandir. What started as a small homely Poush Mela now attracts attention of not only the people of Birbhum district but tourists from all around.
In earlier days the mela (fair) was held in the ground on the north side of Brahma mandir (also referred to as glass temple). On that day, a firework display was held in earlier days after evening prayers. As the mela increased in size, it was shifted to the field in Purbapalli.
Inauguration
Poush Utsav is inaugurated on 7 Poush (around 23 December). At dawn, Santiniketan wakes up to the soft music of shehnai. The first to enter the scenario is the Vaitalik group, who go round the ashrama (hermitage) singing songs. It is followed by a prayer-meeting at Chhatimtala. Then the entire congregation moves on to Uttarayan singing songs.
Other days
Poush Mela is characterized by the live performances of Bengali folk music, especially the baul music. It includes folk songs, dances and tribal sports. This fair offers a perfect insight of true heritage of the state. The students of Santiniketan present their magnificent performance and make this festival more enjoyable and glamorous. Each day of this festival is filled with different activities. The last day of this fair is devoted to those who are related to Santiniketan.
The Fair:
Some 1,500 stalls take part in the fair. The number of tourists pouring in for the three day fair is around 10,000. Government statistics put the daily inflow of tourists in to Santiniketan at around 3,500 per day; but during major festival such as Pous Utsav, Basanta Utsav, Rabindra Paksha, and Naba Barsha it goes up to an average 40,000 per day or more. Obviously, many of them do not stay back in Santiniketan, which has 85 lodges with accommodation for 1,650. Biside of this, room on rent can be hire for some days.
Souvenir: Local printed fabrics and handicrafts are available in the stalls erected during the fair.
