Fairs in West Bengal

The festive spirit sets in with Durga Puja, a five day ritual and celebration for the ten armed goddess Durga. A major festival when excitement and activity touches a feverish pitch. Diwali, the festival of lights, is the worship of goddess Kali. Clay lamps and firecrackers are a part of the festival. Rathajatra organized by ISKCON, is Lord Jagannath's Car Festival.

Holi, the festival of colours, is a celebration of the spring season.

Muslim festivals, the two Ids, are also celebrated with great rejoining. Unique, perhaps, is the Christmas festivity that countries till the New Year.

From November, part of the Maidan is converted into fairgrounds. The Textile Fair, Art and Handicrafts Fair, Leather Exhibition and the famous Calcutta Book Fair are the favourites. The city is resonant with Film and Theater Festivals, music conferences, rock shows, art exhibitions and various other cultural activities. This is also the time when the fairs of rural Bengal are held.

Kali Puja and Saraswati Puja
These are also important festivals celebrated throughout the state in the months of October-November and January-February respectively. Kalipuja coincides with Diwali.

Ganga Sagar Mela
(24 Parganas South) is the largest fair held annually on the Sagar Island in the confluence of the Holy Ganga and the Bay of Bengal at the time of Makar Sankranti in mid-January. Lakhs of Sadhus and pilgrims congregate here from all over the country to visit the Kapil Muni Temple and to take a holy dip in the sea. The best and most comfortable way to access Cangasagar Mela is to avail oneself of the package tour operated by W3 Tourism Development Corporation with M.V. Sarbajaya or M.V. Chitrarekha. Special bus/launch services are operated by Govt. of West Bengal and a large number of private tour operators on the occasion of the Mela. For overnight stay, Diamond Harbour Tourist Lodge (popularly known as Sagarika) would be ideal. (District Birbhum) is also held on the occasion of MakarSankranti in January on the banks of Ajoy river. This mela draws the largest number of 'Bauls', the wandering minstrels of Bengal and is a great attraction to tourists. The of spring with songs, dances and the spraying of abir (gulal).

Mela can be most comfortably accessed from Shantiniketar Tourist Lodge of West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation at Bolpur.

Rathyatra
(June-July) atMahesh,closetoKolkata, is a week-long festival. People throng to have a share in pulling the long ropes attached to the chariots of Lord Jagannath, Balaram and Subhadra onthejourney from the temple and back. In Kolkata Rathayatra is organised by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) with pomp and grandeur.

Vasanta Utsav
(Shantiniketan, District Birbhum) is a special rendition of Holi - the festival of colours observed by the students of Tagore'sViswabharati University. This festival welcomes the season

Paus Mela
(Shantiniketan, District Birbhum) was started by Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore. This unique festival held in December-January every year draws people from all over the state and the country. The Paus Mela is not only a festivity but also an occasion for display /sale of traditional handicrafts/ handloom goods.

Christmas / Id / Muharram
are held by the minority communities with piety and pomp. Special mention may be made of Christmas and Easter celebrated by the Christians; Id / Muharram by the Muslims; and Guru Nanak's Birthday other Sikh festivals by the Sikhs.

Kolkata Boi Mela
(Book Fair) is a unique and great cultural and literary event. Held every year from the end of January till early February, this 12-day long book fair is held over a large chunk of the Maidan near the crossing of Chowringhee and Park treet in Kolkata. This is one of the largest book fairs in the world where the leading national and international publishing concerns participate.

International Film Festival in Kolkata
Held every November between io and 17 is a gala event, showing films in various theatres, holding seminars, exhibitions and book bazaars, attracting large crowds of film-lovers. The hub of all activities is Nandan - a great cultural complex.

India Industrial Trade Fair
It is held every year during December gaining wide renown.

Vishnupur
It is held at the end of December every year at Vishnujpur, the temple town, in the district of Bankura.

East Himalaya's Tourism Festival
(So far known as Teesta Tea & Tourisim Festival) is a unique tourism festival organised jointly by West Bengal Tourism, Sikkim Tourism and Darjiling Tourism in December-January with support and assistance of the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Govt. of India. Its objective is to promote the East Himalayas-part of which are Darjiling, Sikkim and the Dooars of North Bengal -as a composite tourist destination. Its duration is 9-10 days and it comprises a plethora of events at various venues in the region. Siliguri is the gateway to all the festival destinations of the EHTF.

Dussehra Fair

Gangasagar Fair