Joydev Kenduli Mela
Jaydev Kenduli (
Bengali:
জয়দেব কেন্দুলি) (also known as Kendubillo) is a village and
gram panchayat in
Ilambazar community development block in
Bolpur subdivision of
Birbhum District in the
Indian state of
West Bengal. It is believed by many, to be the birth place of
Jayadeva,
although its authenticity is contested, and in spite of the academic
controversy, has developed as a religious centre with many temples and
ashramas (hermitages). An annual fair, popular as
baul fair, is organized on the occasion of
Makar Sankranti.
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| Jaydev Temple |
Jaydev Kenduli is located at
23.63°N 87.43°E. It has an average elevation of 48 metres (157 ft).
[8] It is located on the banks of
Ajay River.
[7]
Villages in Jaydev Kenduli panchayat are: Joydev Kenduli, Tikarbeta,
Sahapur, Janubazar, Raghunathpur, Mundira, Balarpur, Santoshpur,
Bhubanaswer, Sugar, Chhata Chak, and Akamba.
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| River Ajoy's |
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| Sunset at Ajoy river |
A fair is organized in memory of Jayadeva on the occasion of Poush Sankranti or Makar Sankranti.
[11] It starts on the last day of the
Bengali calendar month,
Poush and continues up to 2
Magh.
[7] The start of the fair commemorates the auspicious day on which Jayadeva is claimed to have taken a bath at the Kadaambokhandi
ghat of the Ajay river at Jaydev Kenduli.
[12]
In 1982, the district authorities took control of the fair to provide a
better environment, a good sanitation system, drinking water, lighting
and security.
[13]
Several thousand
bauls, a community of wandering minstrels who sing devotional songs to the music of the
ektara (one stringed instrument), assemble for the fair and as such it is also referred to as
Baul Fair.
The bauls stay in 160 temporary hermitages at Jaydev Kenduli for around
a month. These bauls appear to have inherited the legacy of Jayadeva
songs.
[6][7][10]
Journey from Kolkata to Bolepur
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| Inside the train |
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| Spending time in train |
This days journey from Kolkata to Bolepur is real fun because in Shantinikatan express there is no rush as such,people can enjoy in relaxed mood without any kind of tension which is sometime unthinkable in India.
Preaching tent in Joyadev Kenduli
After reaching Bolepur we took a bus and reaching at joyedev Kenduli.The crowd just started coming in fact the day we reached was starting day of the fair.Reaching there our experienced friends started preaching tents.I had no prior experience of living in a tent,which was a real pleasure.
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| Tent Preaching |
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| Second tent. |
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| Jamming inside the tent. |
We carried 2 single tents with us.
Observing Baul in Moner Manush akhra
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| Performing Bauls |
That night we have wonderful experience of hearing baul song at "Moner Manush akhara" which is a baul akhara run by Sadhon Das Bairagi
The akhara is basically a camp side where every day from evening to morning different singers perform. This akhara was located just beside our camp.
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| Sadhon Das Bairagi |
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| Playing Dotara |
Playing Ektara(A musical instrument usually used in Baul song.)
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| The magical Baul performance |
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| Chapati tawa |
Mela(Fair)
Next day the morning onward we were strolling on
the fair which is a typically rural,I wonder the people who
came here buying few luxury
materials probably could not understand the urban folks.The face-cream,kitchen utensils,red ribbons.These are silly things, perhaps for the urbanized people.But here lies our true picture of other side of India,where people don't know GDP,fiscal growth...blah..blah.
During the fair it was heavily cold, we took sleeping bag along with us,which really helped us to bear with cold.
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| A ganja smoker enjoying his turn. |
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| Earthen Horses. |
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| Selling stone utensils. |
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| Drum seller |
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| A baul sipping tea in leisure |
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| Snack seller in fair ground. |
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| Voirobi. |
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| Faces of India |
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| Other face of India. |
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| Shaving in past time. |
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| Shakha seller |
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| Welcome to my stall. |
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| Here we sell dharma |
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| Shadu1 |
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| Sadhu 2 |
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| Never find a man of my own |
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| Tired of begging |
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| Mokhcha |
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| Internship of Begging |
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| Performing rituals. |
