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Bidhannagar Mela brings together retail and recreation from across the country

From Madhubani paintings, books by the kilo to a Kashmiri serving authentic Qawah tea, the mela is a unique cultural melting pot

Vedant Karia Published 17.12.22, 02:56 PM
With over 280 stalls, the Bidhannagar Mela at Central Park, Salt Lake is a festival of epic proportions. Inaugurated on December 13, the mela is presenting recreation and retail options from all over the country. Be it food, fashion or furniture, there is something for everyone. My Kolkata took a stroll through the stalls. Seen in picture is a giant sign at the entrance that became a prominent photo spot for all revellers. Social workers Debasish Sarkar and Rajesh Mahanta couldn’t resist getting clicked with it. “This mela has been such a beautiful experience. We got the chance to interact with the culture of Jharkhand, Bihar, Sikkim and Bengal in one place!” they said
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With over 280 stalls, the Bidhannagar Mela at Central Park, Salt Lake is a festival of epic proportions. Inaugurated on December 13, the mela is presenting recreation and retail options from all over the country. Be it food, fashion or furniture, there is something for everyone. My Kolkata took a stroll through the stalls. Seen in picture is a giant sign at the entrance that became a prominent photo spot for all revellers. Social workers Debasish Sarkar and Rajesh Mahanta couldn’t resist getting clicked with it. “This mela has been such a beautiful experience. We got the chance to interact with the culture of Jharkhand, Bihar, Sikkim and Bengal in one place!” they said

All images by Vedant Karia
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Anushka Book, a bookstore based in Dharmatala notched up curiosity with its one-of-a-kind offer: selling books according to weight! “Our motive is to not just sell books but also create readers. We’ve had an exciting response and many of the popular books have already been sold out, with customers urging us to restock,” said Akhilesh Singh, manager of the store. (Right) Rianka Bose, assistant professor at Army Institute of Management picked up six books, weighing two kilograms. “I enjoy visiting this mela every time, but getting books at these prices is the cherry on top. I have a collection of 1,000 books at home and love reading,” she added
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Anushka Book, a bookstore based in Dharmatala notched up curiosity with its one-of-a-kind offer: selling books according to weight! “Our motive is to not just sell books but also create readers. We’ve had an exciting response and many of the popular books have already been sold out, with customers urging us to restock,” said Akhilesh Singh, manager of the store. (Right) Rianka Bose, assistant professor at Army Institute of Management picked up six books, weighing two kilograms. “I enjoy visiting this mela every time, but getting books at these prices is the cherry on top. I have a collection of 1,000 books at home and love reading,” she added

With fried sweet and savoury delights, Radha Gobinda Mistanna Bhandar is one of the first stalls you see upon entering. Serving over 15 types of treats assembled in huge piles, the jaggery jalebi (right) is by far their best-selling item, with people finding it difficult to stop at one
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With fried sweet and savoury delights, Radha Gobinda Mistanna Bhandar is one of the first stalls you see upon entering. Serving over 15 types of treats assembled in huge piles, the jaggery jalebi (right) is by far their best-selling item, with people finding it difficult to stop at one

Every corner of this stall selling Madhubani paintings felt like an Instagrammer’s dream. Mahoday Jha has brought over 1,000 paintings from Bihar to set up the stall. “All these paintings have been made by me and my family. We put in a lot of effort before coming to Kolkata because people here are receptive to art, and we know that they will appreciate the thought behind every creation,” he said
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Every corner of this stall selling Madhubani paintings felt like an Instagrammer’s dream. Mahoday Jha has brought over 1,000 paintings from Bihar to set up the stall. “All these paintings have been made by me and my family. We put in a lot of effort before coming to Kolkata because people here are receptive to art, and we know that they will appreciate the thought behind every creation,” he said

Footwear stalls were a hit too, with Joya standing out for its 15 colourful varieties. “All our chappals are handmade by local artisans from Patiala, Punjab. We can see a growing market among Bengali women for our designs at this festival,” said owner Deepak Joya
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Footwear stalls were a hit too, with Joya standing out for its 15 colourful varieties. “All our chappals are handmade by local artisans from Patiala, Punjab. We can see a growing market among Bengali women for our designs at this festival,” said owner Deepak Joya

Not just national flavour, this festival also has an international appeal. Ulas Kilic came down all the way from Istanbul to showcase Turkish craftsmanship at his stall, Tillo Souvenirs. “From plates to lanterns, all our items comprise an authentic Turkish aesthetic. When the customers find joy in our products, it makes us happy!”, he said
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Not just national flavour, this festival also has an international appeal. Ulas Kilic came down all the way from Istanbul to showcase Turkish craftsmanship at his stall, Tillo Souvenirs. “From plates to lanterns, all our items comprise an authentic Turkish aesthetic. When the customers find joy in our products, it makes us happy!”, he said

For Manzoor Bhat, it is a tradition to come down to Kolkata every winter and showcase his stall of Kashmiri delicacies at Bidhannagar Mela. “The last two years have been a difficult time without the fair, but I’m optimistic for a change this year. People love our dry fruits, but it is the special Kashmiri Kesar Qawah Tea, topped with honey, that has the highest demand,” he said
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For Manzoor Bhat, it is a tradition to come down to Kolkata every winter and showcase his stall of Kashmiri delicacies at Bidhannagar Mela. “The last two years have been a difficult time without the fair, but I’m optimistic for a change this year. People love our dry fruits, but it is the special Kashmiri Kesar Qawah Tea, topped with honey, that has the highest demand,” he said

RELATED TOPICS

Winter Fairs Bidhannagar Mela Salt Lake Fair
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