RAAS MELA

Raas Mela on its official last day

COOCH BEHAR, Nov. 26: The Raas Mela turned into the most crowd puller event of the year though only on its last day. Visitors from far and near places thronged into the fair ground and the Madan Mohan Temple from this noon. At the evening the gathering thickened. It became hard for anyone to move along the lanes and streets passed through the area.

 

The traders who were complaining till yesterday about poor business were found happy this evening. The sweet war over Jilabis of Bhetaguri and Baburhat was a luring event to many, till this night. Locals expect that the fair may roll for a few days though today is the official last day.

 

The government stalls and pavilions will not be found open tomorrow. The traders believe they may get some grace period to do their business, though unofficially.

 

Raas Mela is not only for the business community to highlight their products. The government departments too take the opportunity to come closer to the common people. Pavilions of information and cultural affairs department, sericulture, fair trade practice, consumer affairs, literacy, Sarva Shiksha Avijan, total sanitary campaign, health and family welfare department and handicrafts exhibition of district industries centre attracted curious visitors during the fortnight long fair.

 

At the pavilion of the information and cultural affairs department, a photographic exhibition on tourism in West Bengal was held. There were 93 photographs of different places of tourist interest.

 

The must-visit place during the festival is the Madan Mohan Temple. From here the visitors and devotees never get back without whirling the beautiful Raas Chakra. Today too, the place around the Raas Chakra and the nearby huge earthen idol of Putana Rakshashi was the most crowded venue.