Junbeel Mela to be held in Morigaon, Assam from 21 to 23 January 2021

The Tiwa Community fair will be held at the historical place known as Junbeel pather, three km away from Jagiroad in Morigaon district and 32 km from Guwahati, Assam.

The three-day annual festival has been held since the early 17th century, organized by the Tiwa tribe in Assam and Meghalaya.

This festival of northeast is the only event on the globe, where the barter system is still, is practiced.

The celebration of the mela starts with community fishing cockfights, dance, and music. The King of Gobha and his courtiers visit the mela and collect taxes from his subjects.

The festival draws a significant number of people from Tiwa, Khasi, Karbi, Rabha, and Jaintia communities who live in the border villages of Meghalaya and Assam. They organized a huge bazaar during the occasion. They set up stalls/shops with a lot of fresh produce and local poultry including some vegetables that are barely sold commercially. They interchange their merchandise with the native indigenous Assamese people in a barter system.

The Morigaon district administration on Friday (December) hold a meeting at the DC's conference hall, Morigaon with the organizing committee of Junbeel Mela regarding the preparations of the festival.

However, this year the three-day-long festival will be organized abiding by all Covid 19 protocol. Therefore, the district administration instructed the organizing committee to strictly follow Covid protocol and not to hold any cultural, programmes and exhibitions during the festival and to organize the programme with 50 percent people.

Also Read: Citing results of civic polls, BJP 'rising', Congress 'diminishing, says Prakash Javadekar

Also Watch: COVID Warriors: Laboratory Technicians hold protest in Guwahati