West Bengal’s 300-yr-old Jugol Kishore fair cancelled amid Covid-19 lockdown

With the famed Jugol Kishore fair being cancelled given the coronavirus outbreak, many fair dwellers and those earning a livelihood from what many believe to be one of the biggest congregations in the state stand disappointed.

Nadia (West Bengal):A fairground along the Churni river in Aranghata town of West Bengal’s Nadia district which otherwise plays host to a 300-year-old fair around this time of the year, is lying desolate amid the coronavirus-induced lockdown.

With the famed Jugol Kishore fair being cancelled in view of the coronavirus outbreak, many fair dwellers and those earning a livelihood from what many believe to be one of the biggest congregations in the state stand disappointed.

“The fair has been called off this year, and it's sad. But we can’t do anything about it as a lockdown has been imposed,” said a local resident.

The annual fair, which began during the reign of Raja Krishna Chandra Dutta, has been continuing since then without a break.

The fair draws thousands of people, particularly couples, who pay obeisance to deities Radharani and Gobindo, seeking their blessings to find eternal love and everlasting marital bliss.