Visva-Bharati grants permission for 'Poush Mela' on its campus

Bolpur, WB: Visva-Bharati university on Monday accorded permission to the Birbhum district administration to organise the century-old 'Poush Mela' on its campus, officials said.

Like the last two years, the district administration decided to organise the heritage fair this year as well after Visva-Bharati and Santiniketan Trust called it off, citing a lack of time to prepare. However, during the last two years, it was organised outside the campus, instead of the traditional Purba Pally Melar Math.

The fair, held on the seventh day of Bengali month 'Poush' which falls in late December, was first organised by ‘Maharshi’ Debendranath Tagore, father of Visva-Bharati founder Rabindranath Tagore, in 1894 to showcase the handicrafts, heritage and culture of Bengal, particularly Birbhum.

After the district administration decided that it would organise the fair, a letter was sent to Visva-Bharati to allow it on the campus. The central varsity wrote back, stating nine conditions for the go-ahead, officials said.

Among these were complying with the NGT directives, wrapping up the fair within the stipulated days and ensuring the security of students and employees of the varsity. Also, the varsity raised the issue of criminal cases that were lodged in 2019 when it tried to vacate the ground after the stipulated days, they said.

On Sunday, the administration in a letter to the varsity said that it would fulfil all the conditions, except disposing of the criminal cases.

After discussing the matter, the varsity granted permission to the administration to organise it on the campus, officials said.

Since 1951, the ‘Poush Mela’ has been organised by the Visva-Bharati university in collaboration with the trust and with support from the West Bengal government. The trust, set up by Debendranath Tagore, owns around 11 bighas in and around the campus of the central varsity.

The varsity did not organise the fair over the last three years due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and a raging tiff between then Visva-Bharati vice-chancellor Bidyut Chakraborty and the state government.

District Magistrate Bidhan Roy had earlier said that if the varsity does not give permission, the fair will be organised at the Dak Bungalow ground in Bolpur as was done in the last two years.