Shantiniketan Poush Mela: He was the Director of Studies of Visva Bharati University for a long time. He held the post of Vice-Chancellor for one year. Presently Trustee of Santiniketan and former Professor of Philosophy Department Sabujkali Sen Has been in Santiniketan for almost 54 years. How did young Sabujkali feel about the star-studded Poush Mela seen 50 years ago? How does Praveena Ashram see the fair now or as an organizer? HT in Bengali He brought up everything in a frank conversation.
Shantidev, Kanika, was on the altar
I have been in Shantiniketan for almost 54 years. I came to Shiksha Bhaban as a student in 71. Before that, the elders had brought class seven to see it once. Then the broken fair was going on. So I could not watch the main program. In those days, people used to come to the fair by bullock carts. The day before the start of the fair there was a Vaitalik in the evening. Now the Vaitalik stops at the Gaurapangan near the temple and Santiniketan house. At that time, starting from the main courtyard, the temple would go around the Sangeet Bhavan. ‘Aji jata tara taba akash’ was sung. I still remember the Vaitalik song that was held at five o’clock the next morning — ‘Stand before my Ankhi’. At Chatimatla, Ustadji used to sing and Vajpayee used to chant mantras. At the altar, the Dhikpal people used to sing. As I have seen Shantidev Ghosh, Kanika Banerjee, Neelima Sen.’
Rabindra Sangeet on violin
A person whose name has been forgotten appeared in Sabujkali’s reminiscences. ‘There were not so many fences in the central office then. One used to come from Chandannagar (or maybe Madhyamgram) for the three-day fair. He stood at the entrance and played Rabindra Sangeet on the violin. He will be remembered by all who are old ashrams of Santiniketan like me. Where the Mela police office is now, there used to be a wooden nagardola. From Amal Palekar to Shyam Benegal, I have seen many riding there. There were not so many crowds to see them. As a result, they also used to go around the fair without worry. Voices said a group was coming from Calcutta. They also sang Rabindra Sangeet for three days. All three days of the fair, however, Shantidev Ghosh was on stage. No one sang on the stage of the Poush Mela except for his tested people. The journey was towards night. I remember that too.’
Controversy about the fair
How much has the fair changed in these 50 years? Sabujkali says, ‘The fair changes with the times. There have been many debates about this change. Once there was a tractor exhibition in the fair ground. It was the era of the Green Revolution. The self-proclaimed ‘Jyathamshais’ of Santiniketan (they not only live inside Santiniketan but also outside) made fun of that exhibition. He said, maybe there will be an exhibition of Rolls Royce. But that didn’t happen. What people need is exhibited in Paush Mela. But one thing is missing now. The stalls of hats, sticks, and umbrellas used to sit at the back of the fair. They stayed for quite some time in January. The teachers and staff of Visva-Bharati had a birthday on 1st. Then they would go to buy those things. Traders of wood products also used to go to Jayadeva’s Kenduli fair from the beginning of January.’
‘The character of the village is also changing’
The character of the village is also changing day by day. As a result, there is a change in the life of the villagers. For example, when I went to the fair this year, I saw that steel rollers were being sold. Lots of Santal women are buying them. Until seven or eight years ago, the fair was different for us. I used to buy whatever I couldn’t buy during the fair. Not only me, all of Bolpur Santiniketan and even most of Birbhum would have had such a plan. But now is very much online age. Desired things are coming within few days. So the idea of buying from the fair does not come as much.
Beauty competition at the fair
Then the fair was held in front of the temple. During Rabindranath’s time, a fair was held there for three days. When Rabindranath’s centenary was celebrated in 1961, the crowd continued to grow ever since. It grew so much that the fair moved to the Purvapalli field, where the fair is held now. Burning stakes was a major attraction of fairs then. Betting was also a big attraction for the village people. There was a huge crowd in the fair that day. The people of Surul used to make bets. How the demand for the fair is changing, may be clear in another example. Ten years ago some people approached me from a hair oil company. They are having a beauty competition at the fair. I was invited there as a judge. I never support beauty pageants. So I didn’t go. But I got a glimpse of the changing needs of the fair and the buyers. Earlier, students provided coffee and food stalls. Now it has reduced a lot. There will be a change in mentality.
Distribution of blankets, rice, pulses, money…
Shantiniketan Trust was established in 1888 by Maharshi Devendranath Tagore. Shantiniketan was Devendranath’s place of Brahmasadhana. As a result, he had a wish in his mind that devotees would come here, worship, discuss religion. It is for that purpose that the temple is built. Devendranath’s trust deed clearly states ‘…the trustees shall endeavor and endeavor to hold a fair every year. All religions can be judged and exchanged in this fair. In the festival of this fair, there will be no pagan worship and there can be no ugly entertainment, except for alcohol and meat, all kinds of goods can be bought and sold in this fair.’ The main objective of Santiniketan Trust is to organize a fair and help the poor and underprivileged. According to the description of the early fairs, blankets, rice, pulses and money were distributed to the poor from Shantiniketan house. There was widespread poverty in subjugated India at that time. This custom is still followed. But it is done at other times of the year.
