'Baul-Fakir Mela' to be held at Tepantar from November 23-25

Kolkata: 'Baul-Fakir Mela', which is gaining popularity and attended by many foreigners, will be held at Tepantar in West Burdwan from November 23 to 25.

Tepantar is a theatre village with a four-acre campus and is coming up as a dynamic cultural hub at Satkahania, 175 km from Kolkata. It is the centre of the famous theatre team 'Ebong Amra.'

Around 250 bauls and fakirs from East and West Burdwan, Birbhum, Bankura, Murshidabad and Nadia will take part in this year's fair that will be held from November 23 to 25. International music bands from Israel and Czech Republic will also participate in the three-day fair and will participate with the bauls and fakirs. It may be mentioned that after coming to power in 2011, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee gave special stress on the revival of Bengal's rich folk culture. Nearly 2 lakh folk artistes are given monthly stipend. Banerjee has presented musical instruments like dhamsa, madal, dotara and ektara to the bauls and fakirs.

They are regularly perform at different fairs organised by the state government. As a result, many folk artistes who had joined some other vocation have come back to their own traditional fold.

The popularity of baul and fakir mela is fast growing up with music lovers and students from many foreign universities are coming to take part every year. It used to be held at Gorbhanga from 2010 but from this year the venue will change.

There are ethnic cottages, tents, dormitory and rooms are available for the visitors.

The two nights and three days package for the visitors including fooding and lodging costs anything between Rs 2,500 and Rs 5,000. The fair will be organised by banglanatak.com. Tepantar is surrounded by cultural hubs at Santiniketan, Kantha embroidery hub at Nanoor, Dokra hub at Dariyapur and wooden doll hub at Natungram.