Residents of a dozen districts have been preserving the tradition of holding a marble game and fair at Ramanander Aak village under Agailjhara Upazila in Barisal for 243 years.
The village gets a festive look during this occasion when the residents invite their daughters-in-law and other relatives to this marble fair, organized on the occasion of Poush Sankranti and Gosai Navanna festivals.
Marble game has been a common sport event across Bangladesh for decades. But this game and the fair are little different.
People play marble in every yard, garden, beside the road, and uncultivated croplands every year in an area of about 7sq-km as part of the rural culture and tradition.
This year, the festival was held on January 15, after two years of hiatus due to the Covid-19 ban on public gatherings.
Not only Agailjhara Upazila but thousands of men and women of different ages from neighboring districts and upazilas participate in the marble game and visit the fair.
People came from Kotalipara, Dasar, and Kalkini upazilas of Gopalganj and Madaripur districts; Wazirpur, Gournadi, Banaripara, and Bakerganj upazilas of Barisal; and different areas of Dhaka, Khulna, and Shariatpur districts, organizers said.
The marble game and fair also coincide with the Bastu Puja, one of the most important festivals of the Hindu community.
Dhaka TribuneThe village fair was organized on Ramanand's Aak school grounds with a variety of shops selling bamboo-cane art materials, grocery, toys, sweets, and fruits.
A 40-member management committee was formed to conduct the fair. Extensive security arrangements were also taken in advance.
In order to popularize the traditional marble fair, the government is looking forward to expanding the field alongside improving the communication system.
Agailjhara police station OC (Investigation) Mazharul Islam told reporters that an adequate number of law enforcers were deployed to ensure the safety of the ordinary people and traders coming to this marble fair.
Who was Maa Sonai Chand Awliya?
According to Ramakrishna Halder, president of the fair committee, Maa Sonai Chand Awliya was married off at the age of 6 in Ramanand's Aak village 243 years ago.
She became widow within a year after her husband died, and from then, she began worshiping Lord Shiva under the bottom of a Neem tree in her in-laws' home.
As her success in meditation or ascetic practice and miracles spread in the area, annual worshiping pujas were organized at the place 1780 during the lifetime of Maa Sonai Chand Awliya.
Following her death, the Sonai Chand Awliya Temple was established here.
The fair is organized every year on the day of Poush Sankranti. The programs include Nam Sangkirtan or religious songs, Kobigaan (poetic songs), Vaishnava services offered Niramish (vegetarian) food, Navanna (new harvesting) festival, marble playing games and folk fair.
Dhaka TribuneA special food (Prasad) is prepared here and offered to the visitors of the fair every year. It is made of 50kgs of rice powder mixed with 50kgs of sugarcane jaggery, 50 pairs of coconuts and necessary bananas and other ingredients, said Upazila Vice Chairman Molina Rani Roy, who is also an advisor to the fair organizing committee.
The game
Dhaka's Shikha Biswas came to her village home with her family on this occasion to participate in the marble game and fair.
Saikat Biswas from Noria Upazila of Shariatpur, and Namita Mondal from Bagda under Wazirpur Upazila of Barisal also came to join in the marble fair along with their family members.
Eighty-year-old Chitta Ranjan Biswas of the village said: “Our ancestors used to promote the fair by organizing this marble game. As their successors, we are trying to maintain the tradition.”
Lecturer Tarun Chandra Nath, 40, who came to the fair from Kotalipara of Gopaaalganj, said he learned about the traditional marble game and fair in his area.
Nayan Haldar, an eighth-grader, and Uttam Roy of class X, said they had saved money to visit the fair and participate in the marble game.
“From children to teenagers, young men and women, everyone is enchanted to participate in the marble game, which is the fair's main attraction,” said Nayan.