Poush Mela

If there is one event that encapsulates Kiriteswari's soul, it is the Poush Mela, held during the Bengali month of Poush (approximately mid-December to mid-January). This month-long fair is unlike any other in Murshidabad. At its heart is a barter economy in which villagers exchange handmade goods such as terracotta crafts, handwoven textiles, folk art and food items for paddy (rice). No cash changes hands. The spectacle of a pre-monetary exchange economy functioning with complete normalcy in the 21st century is remarkable.
The Mela is also a performing arts festival. The fairgrounds come alive with tribal folk dances:
Baha Dance: A vibrant seasonal dance associated with the Santhali and other tribal communities of the region, traditionally performed at the onset of spring blossoms. At the Poush Mela, it is performed in winter as a cultural preservation.
Lagre Dance: Another evocative tribal dance form from the indigenous communities of the Murshidabad-Birbhum belt, characterised by rhythmic footwork and percussion.
The fair also draws itinerant musicians, storytellers, baul singers and devotional performers. The air smells of woodsmoke, marigold garlands and frying jalebis. This is one of rural Bengal's finest cultural events and it remains wonderfully uncommercialized.