Jumbangla Desk: Like every year, the main attraction of the 300-year-old Utholi Nabanna fair in Shivganj of Bogra was the big and beautiful fish. A one-day fair held on the first day of Agrahayan saw at least crores worth of fish bought and sold.

Bugra

Around the fish fair, every house in the surrounding villages is crowded with relatives. Son-in-law, daughter, grandchildren came and filled the house. They are being entertained with new winter potatoes, other vegetables, winter pies and big fair fish.

Elders said that a one-day fish fair is held on Sunday like every year at Uthli Hat in Shibganj Upazila of Bogra. In this 300 years old historic fair, fish worth crores of rupees have been bought and sold this time. The fishmongers from different districts of the country sell fish from dewy morning till evening by arranging huge stalls of different kinds of fish.

This fair is also called Jamai Mela. On this day, sons-in-law have to buy big fish and appear at the in-laws' house in Utholi area. And this has become a long tradition.

They also said that during the British rule, the local people demanded the establishment of this haat from the zamindar Butsingh. The zamindar donated about 52 bighas of land for the haat in order to protect the rights of the subjects. Since then, Navanna Mela was held in Utholi Bazar on the first day of Bengal Sun.

Meanwhile, around the Nabanna festival, around 20 villages including Utholi, Rathbari, Chhota and Bara Narayanpur, Dhondakola, Sadullapur, Barabala, Akandapara, Garibpur, Devipur, Guzia, Medenipara, Bakshan, Ganeshpur, Rahbal in Bogra's Shibganj upazila, as well as about 20 villages to buy fish from this upazila and different places in the district. Gentle people flocked to Utholi Bazar.

Going to the ground, it can be seen that traders have appeared in the fair with big fish since Sunday morning. Baghair, Boal, Rui, Katla, Chital, silver carp, brigade carp and various types of fish weighing 2 to 20 kg were sold in the fair in more than 150 shops throughout the day. Baghair is sold at Tk 1500 per kg, Boal at Tk 1400 per kg, Rui, Katla and Chital fish at Tk 500 to Tk 700 per kg. However, medium size fish was sold at Tk 300 per kg.

Apart from fish, the main attraction of this fair in Navanna is new potatoes, saffron, sweet potatoes, new vegetables, all kinds of sweets, rasmalai, jilapi, dui, muri, murki, clay handicraft shops. There were various kinds of toys and food stalls for children. Not just fish at the fair; Cows and goat meat were also sold.

Kalachan, a fish trader of Krishnachandrapur village of Gabtali upazila, said that he brought fish of 3 lakh taka and earned 80 thousand taka. Compared to last year, the price of fish is a little higher this year. Still good business.

Abdul Baki, a fish seller of Amtali village, said that more than 150 small and big fish shops have been set up in the fair. Each fish vendor sold fish for 10 to 100 maunds. 20-25 sheds are opened there from night to supply fish to the fair. Local vendors buy fish at wholesale rates from those traps and sell them retail at fairs.

Rafiqul Islam, a teacher of Barabala village in Shibganj upazila, said that the fair is very old. Around the fair, people make financial preparations for shopping months in advance. Relatives including daughter-in-law are invited to the fair. Every house is full of guests. Each family has to spend a large amount of money in this fair. As guests come to his house, so does his house spend. But because the son-in-law has to spend more, it is also called son-in-law fair.

A man named Babu said that 15 relatives have come to his house. More to come. He bought 10 kg cotton fish for 7000 taka. Also bought new potatoes, vegetables, sweets, curd, rasmalai, chira and muri.

Robin Islam, the old man of Sansardighi village, recalled his memories and said, "I never missed going to the mosque on the first Friday of the month of Agrahayan when I was a child." Because many people of the village used to give milk in the mosque during Navanna festival. After the prayer, I used to eat cheteput in the courtyard of the mosque. But now it is no longer visible. Today it is lost due to the passage of time.

Manjurul Haque Manju, the lessee of Shibganj Utholi Hat, said that as part of the tradition of Bengal, this one-day fair has been held regularly on the occasion of Navanna every year. Earlier, the fair was held on a small scale but for the last 40 years it has been held on a large scale. Not only the people of the surrounding villages, but the people of the entire Bogra district come to market Nabanna in this fair.

Temperatures will drop to 13 degrees, fog will be seen in the north

On the other hand, in Kahalu upazila of Bogra, on the occasion of Navanna festival, a fish fair was held at the local town hall on Sunday. Throughout the day, the mela is full of buyers and sellers. Every house in the upazila was filled with relatives.