India is a land of fairs and festivals. There is hardly a month when there are no fairs and festivals. This shows that there was a time when India was fabulously rich. The people were happy and prosperous. They enjoyed life.
A fair is an important event in the life of the villagers. It breaks the monotony of their life. They enjoy it most heartily. The dusky village children enjoy themselves for a day. It is a pleasure to see a smile on the face of the careworn wife.
I happened to visit the Baisakhi fair last year. It is held every year in a village close to ours. It was attended by thousands of villagers from the neighbouring villages. All seemed to be in a holiday mood. There was no end to their gaiety. There was a lot to attract and fascinate me. The villagers were putting on gaudy clothes.
The children were happy beyond description. Good humour prevailed everywhere. There was great hustle and bustle. The raw villagers sang rustic songs. They danced to the beat of drums and made merry. They played on their flutes and sang romantic love songs of Hir and Ranja. There was great stir and excitement. The bazar was overcrowded.
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The confectioners had their day. All sorts of sweets, good or bad, were selling like hot cakes. Children crowded at balloon and toy shops and maidens patronized bangle, soap, and hairpin sellers.
There were jugglers and rope-dancers. They amused the villagers with their tricks and feats. Merry-go-rounds were whirling and twirling in the air. Women and children enjoyed rides in them. Palmists were carrying on a roaring trade.
A travelling circus also had come to the fair. It was a great attraction for the villagers. The beggars and the lame were asking for alms. There was a snake-charmer in a corner. He played on his flute and the king cobra danced to the tune of the flute.
A quack dentist sat with a heap of teeth in front of him. He claimed to extract a tooth without the least pain. Scouts were rendering great service to the people. There were also pickpockets. They were carrying on their nefarious trade.
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The fair was a medley of sounds and sights. Here you came across a Bhangra performance and there you saw a wrestling match or a jugglers’s show. The beat of drums, shrill notes of pipes and improvised flutes, peals of bells and cat calls of lusty youth and ear rending shouts of vendors, shop keepers and pedlars all combined to produce a strange babel.
In the evening, there were races. The donkey races provided a lot of fun. There were wrestling bouts and matches. Prizes were awarded to the winners. At nightfall, the crowds began to melt and disperse with armfuls of sweets and toys.
They were happy and cheerful. They had the satisfaction of having fully enjoyed the day. They were proudly telling one another what they had seen in the fair. I returned home happy and delighted, late in the evening.