Exchange, not sell, is the unique USP of Jonbeel mela.

The fair proved to be a vehicle for Uparjan Bordoloi, 45, to buy a wooden almirah for himself in lieu of some taro roots.

On the first day of the fair, Bordoloi, a potato farmer from Tiwa-dominated Jagi Bhakargaon, handed over four bags of taro roots to a merchant hailing from neighbouring Nagaon and got his desired wardrobe, which he got ready to bring home on Friday evening.

Jonbeel mela, the most popular fair among the Tiwa community in central Assam, began near Jagiroad on Thursday. Friday is the second day of the three-day fair.

The fair is the only one in the northeastern states, where items are not sold, but exchanged among the people.

“Month-long unrest in the state, bandh after bandh, series of agitation and after all unfavourable law and order pushed me to believe that this time Jonbeel mela would not be held. However, that has not happened and all people from the plains as well as the hills have joined in,” Bordoloi added.

people head out with traditional tools for community fishing on Friday (AP)

In a traditional Tiwa family, the parents call their youngest son Uparjan.

“My three brothers live outside Morigaon. I live alone with my family in the old house of my father. Every year I take part in the fair and exchange items for potatoes. This time we got a wooden cupboard,” he added.

Thousands of people from different parts of the state gathered for the fair on the second day.

The mela site is located 8km from Jagiroad town.

“Initially only items were exchanged in the fair. Nowadays the system has changed somewhat and some items are also sold,” said mela committee member Pranab Masrang.

According to Masrang, the old tradition of exchanging items is basically done on the third day of the fair after the arrival of the Gova king.

“The Gova king is the head of the ancient Tiwa kingdom that covered Morigaon district, parts of Nagaon, Karbi Anglong and Kamrup (rural). The main programme will be on Saturday. The Gova king, accompanied by his leaders, will come and assemble here. After the assembly, the king and his followers will exchange items with people coming from neighbouring plain areas,” Masrang said.

Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Jagiroad legislator Pijus Hazarika are scheduled to take part in the programme on Saturday.

“Chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal may cancel his programme at the eleventh hour because of the CAA-related situation. All other scheduled programmes are on schedule,” he said.