Bidhannagar Mela stalled

Bidhannagar Mela (Utsav) is in a limbo. Salt Lake’s favourite fair, that usually takes place in end-December, has been postponed indefinitely as the venue — Central Park — is all set to host the International Kolkata Book Fair early.

The Book Fair has been brought forward this year. It will take place from January 18 to 31 so as to not clash with Board exams, that have also been preponed.

Put off, not cancelled

“Some people have been spreading rumours that the fair has got cancelled but that’s not true. We have had to postpone it but will certainly find a suitable time and hold it after the Book Fair,” said Krishna Chakraborty, mayor of Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation that organises it.

The book fair committee, she says, takes over the venue well in advance to make preparations. “The Book Fair is an international event of immense repute and is sacrosanct. We have to make all other arrangements respecting its dates,” Chakraborty said.

The entrance to an earlier edition of Bidhannagar Mela (Utsav).

Sudeshna Banerjee

Had they forcefully started Bidhannagar Mela in December as usual this year, it would have had to wrap up in 15 days, leaving vendors dissatisfied. “The peak selling period is always between December 23 and January 2 and it would make no sense for vendors to set up stalls but be deprived of this window,” said the mayor.

She acknowledges that it’s a challenge to find suitable dates after the Book Fair and while the weather is still pleasant. “We don’t want it to clash with the Board exams either. There are usually more fairs that take place in Central Park around the time but these days some have shifted to New Town. We’ll have to check. As for holding the fair before the usual time was concerned, that wasn’t possible either what with so many pujas and holidays lined up,” she explained.

The corporation had also floated a tender inviting parties to organise the fair on their behalf. “The fair usually requires us to float multiple tenders for different departments such as water and lighting. Since we were on such short notice this year we figured it would be faster and easier to hand over the entire contract to a single party that would manage the nitty gritties. One or two board members may have been absent during these discussions but the majority knew and had agreed to this,” Chakraborty said.

Nonetheless, the tender is now on the backburner and all will be decided after the Book Fair. “Bidhannagar Mela is dear to residents and to me. It’s a chance to meet everyone, visit stalls, and enjoy cultural programmes. Its proceeds are also funding Rabindra Bhavan (the cultural centre supposed to come up in FE Block). We shall certainly find alternate dates to hold it,” said the mayor.

Never missed a year

The fair had begun in 1990 under the official name of Bidhannagar (Salt Lake) Fair. “Under our charge, it had never skipped a year. We would form sub-committees that would start planning at least two or three months in advance,” said Swapan Mitra, who was the chief co-ordinator.

His team organised the fair till 2010, after which the then-newly-formed Trinamul-run municipality took over. “It would be unfortunate if the fair is skipped this year. People from all over Salt Lake and beyond wait for it,” said Mitra.

The only time the fair has been cancelled before is during the pandemic. The fair usually has hundreds of stalls, kiosks and pavilions selling saris, jewellery and handicraft items. There are food courts and children’s play areas. The international section has onyx from Pakistan, papyrus from Egypt and lamps and evil eye wall hangings from Turkey.

Every evening there are cultural programmes and a dog show and a flower show are held too.

Shoppers upset

Alina Mazumdar is shocked and upset to hear the news. “I had been looking forward to it. So had my friends from Mukundapur to Madhyamgram, who wait for me to tell them the dates so they can come by. I know about Hasto Shilpa Mela and the trade fair in New Town and shall be visiting both but nothing compares to Bidhannagar Mela, that is in the heart of Salt Lake. It is cheaper and closer to home and we can visit it multiple times,” says the resident of CB Block.

Mazumdar loves the handicrafts, ceramics, Kashmiri carpets, planters and food stalls at this fair and her daughter waits for the rides. “I’m fond of the Book Fair too but this is no reason to cancel another fair,” she reasons. “But then there’s no harm if Bidhannagar Mela is held after the Book Fair. It’s not a festival where the dates have to be sacrosanct. We’ll go for it whenever it’s held.”

Vendors confused

If shoppers are disappointed, shopkeepers are confused. Kamal Anwar, manning the Egyptian stall at the trade fair in New Town, was convinced Bidhannagar Mela was starting on December 11.

“I plan to participate in the fair in Salt Lake after I wrap up here. I have come to India with plans to take part in three fairs, the third being at Science City. I will face a loss if one fair is cancelled,” Anwar said.

Local traders are more clued in. “We are hearing rumours that the fair is cancelled but have got no official intimation from the corporation,” says Purnasis Dutt, director of Ramdhanu Ethnic that sells saris and kurtis.

Tender calls for Bidhannagar Mela (Utsav) still hang on the Poura Bhavan notice board.

Brinda Sarkar

“In other years, we visit Poura Bhavan around this time of the year for a notice about the details of online booking. We then select stall space, pay the rates and take the receipt back to them. This process begins seven to 10 days before the online booking. This time we have been visiting Poura Bhavan every alternate day but there’s no information,” says Dutt.

His customers from across Salt Lake, Bangur, Lake Town and Dum Dum have been asking about the fair as they release a special collection there. “It’s also a platform to attract new customers, who then visit us round the year,” says Dutt, whose shop Ramdhanu is near Kwality More.

A close-up of the notice.

Brinda Sarkar

Rani Agarwal, who sets up a churan stall every year, has heard the rumours from other vendors. “My husband will be going to Poura Bhavan to verify the news,” she says. “Our calendar is booked every winter. We just wrapped up a fair in Lake Town and were gearing up for Bidhannagar Mela, where we make our highest sales. Now we have nothing till Subhas Mela in Kankurgachhi, that begins on January 23,” said Agarwal, of Howrah.

Vendors aren’t too hopeful about new dates after the Book Fair. “Even if the weather is pleasant in February, we’ll miss the holiday crowd. The Christmas to New Year week has everyone on the streets and ready to spend big bucks,” says Agarwal, who is now on the lookout for other fairs around the time.