The traditional ‘Vaidyanathala annual fair’ was held in Collegepur village of Jessore Sadar upazila with puja parban, joyous festival and prasad distribution. On Monday (27 Baisakh), this traditional fair of centuries was completed in a religious solemnity and festive atmosphere throughout the day.
A discussion meeting was held in the fair premises under the chairmanship of Sri Sri Baidyanath Committee President Gopal Chandra Tarafdar. Jessore District BNP General Secretary and Zilla Parishad Administrator Delwar Hossain Khokon inaugurated the fair by cutting ribbons as the chief guest.
Dipankar Das Ratan, President of Jessore District Branch of Bangladesh Puja Udjakar Parishad inaugurated the puja at the beginning of the fair.
Zilla Puja Udjakar Parishad General Secretary Tapan Kumar Ghosh, Vice President Mr. Amalkanti Das, Sadar Upazila Puja Udjakar Committee President Robin Kumar Ghosh, Zilla Parishad Representative MA Majnu and No. 6 Kashimpur Union BNP President and Former Chairman Ayub Hossain were present as special guests. Local dignitaries including BNP leader Abdur Rahim, Moshiur Rahman Bablu, Altaf Hossain, Abul Khair, Saroj Kumar Kundu were also present. The program was conducted by the general secretary of the temple committee, Nikhil Kumar Shikdar.
Folklore has it that the origin of this fair revolves around a miraculous stone. According to legend, the idol stone of Baba Baidyanath once floated down the torrential Buri Bhairav river and sank at Collegepur Ghat. Later, an old woman received a dream and retrieved the stone and placed it in a certain place. Since then, this puja and fair has been organized every year on Monday.
The then zamindar Sachi Prasanna Mukhopadhyay and his brothers are also known to have donated 45 hundred acres of land in the name of the temple.
Even in the age of modern technology, this fair at Baidyanathala has survived as one of the carriers of the thousand years of Bengali folk culture. The meeting of people irrespective of caste-religion-caste is observed in the fair. Devotees from far and wide pray at the feet of Baba Baidyanath in the hope of getting rid of diseases, getting children and fulfilling their heart’s desires.
Prasad and food are distributed among the visiting visitors by the fair committee. With clay puppets, the sound of flutes and the enthusiasm of the devotees, the village of Collegepur should take the form of a piece of traditional Bengal.
