Bankura:A unique 'muri mela' (puffed rice fair) is being organised at Kenjakura along the banks of Dwarkeswar river in West Bengal's Bankura district on the fourth day of Bengali month 'Magha' for several centuries.
Every year on this day, a fair is also held at the Dwarkeswar banks on this occasion. Thousands of people gather on the river banks along with their families and relatives in the winter morning. They enjoy munching puffed rice mixed with cucumber, carrot, onion and chilly, sprinkled with lemon juice. Snacks accompanying the puffed rice are 'chop', 'chanachur', 'singara' along with sweets namely 'gilipi', 'gaja' and 'pera'.
It is worth noting that puffed rice is considered a common breakfast dish among Bengalis and is very popular for those hailing from Bankura.
According to a popular story in Bankura, once while riding his chariot through the sky, Lord Indra heard a loud roar. To unravel the mystery, Indra stopped his chariot and asked Lord Varun if his tricks had caused any storm on earth. When Varun denied, Indra assigned saint Narad to investigate the noise. Narad, after traveling around the world, finally found out that the people of Bankura had poured water on puffed rice at 7 am, resulting in the loud roar that had gone beyond the earth and reached the heaven.
So, it is only natural for the people of this district to organise a fair dedicated to their favorite food. People believe that for hundreds of years, the ashram of Mata Sanjivani has been located on the banks of the Dwarkeswar river in Kenjakura. Every year, 'Sankirtan' begins in this ashram on the day of Makar Sankranti and ends on the fourth day of 'Magha'.
It is also believed that in ancient times, people from far and wide used to come to the ashram to listen to 'Sankirtan'. They would then spend the night in the ashram and on the next morning, everyone would sit on the banks of Dwarkeswar river, eating puffed rice before leaving for their homes. With time, this tradition has transformed into an annual fair.
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