Your Visit to a Palli Mela

A palli mela is an annual affair. It is a large gathering place for all ages and callings. Last month, I visited a fair at my village at the site of poet’s ancestral home of Govindapur village under Ambikapur union in Faridpur. During the fair I was in my village as my school was closed due to summer vacation. The fair ground was not so far from our home. So I went there on foot. Some of my friends accompanied me. We reached there at about 3.30 p.m. The palli mela, was jointly organised by Faridpur District Administration and Jasim Foundation, and presided over by DC of Faridpur. About two hundred stalls have been set up at Jasim Udyan — adjacent to the bank of river Kumar — with various products, mostly rural-oriented and traditional, for display and sale. The fair offers visitors a variety of entertainment, including recitation, dance, folk songs Jari Gaan, Kobi Gaan, Lalon Geeti, puppet shows and circus. Delectable items of food and sweets are being sold. A variety of programs has been spread throughout the venue enthralling everyone visiting this grandeur event to acquaint themselves with the pastoral beauty of the village. The fair is filled with thrilling and exciting games and rides such as the nagordola, charki and death hole. Moreover, a circus along with puppet shows and various cultural shows has been arranged to cater to everyone’s entertainment needs. Apart from that various stalls have been installed displaying and selling all kinds of products including handicrafts. The shopkeepers sitting in rows displayed their articles an attractive atmosphere. Clothes, toys, cheap ornaments, cosmetics, fancy goods, utensils, bamboo made articles, sweetmeats and many other attractive things were placed there. Jatra, circus. doll-dance, magic show etc, were the chief attractions of the fair. But the doll-dance and the potteries attracted me most. I roamed about the whole fair with my friends for about three hours. I bought some hand made articles and potteries. In the evening, we started for home with a pleasant mind. Indeed, the day was very enjoyable and interesting to me.