Resumo de The Koh-i-noor Of India's Mela Culture

Since time immemorial, human race has been striving to strike a balance between dreams and realities. Fairs and festivities have always been the most powerful collective expression of human desire to add a tint of beauty to the soul. India preserves one of the most ancient human cultures with a spectrum of fancies and fiestas and with a daunting longevity of people who, in spite of all the miseries and menaces, upheld a colorful collective vision of life. Madhya Pradesh has, furthermore, the very essence of India's festive culture. This state of India with its rich cultural heritage also has a rich legacy of fairs - rural, folk, tribal and urban. These fairs - with all their diversities and intermingling fragrance of their respective regions ranging from Malwa to Mahoba, Orchha to Bastar, Datia to Chhatisgarh - mirror forth the real mood and taste of Madhya Pradesh and serve as the spinal chord of its socio-economic culture. Gwalior Trade Fair specially holds an unparalleled significance and is correctly hailed as "The Koh-i-Noor of India's Mela Culture" .
Initiated in the year 1905, GWALIOR TRADE FAIR (GTF) is the biggest fair of Madhya Pradesh and, indeed, one of the most colorful fairs of the whole North India. Spread in a vast 104 acres of area and divided into several 'blocks' and 'sectors', the Mela Ground at Race Course Road is rightly known as the Pragati Maidan of Madhya Pradesh. For over a month, commencing the first week of January, the whole Mela campus turns into a mini city with everything in its ambit -- from coffee shop to cyber cafe, from handicrafts to motorcars. Perhaps no other Fair in North India reflects such vastness and variety. Gwalior Mela has evolved as a trade fair from a simple rural fair of a century ago when the Mela would turn into a big ?haat" (village market) of farm cattle -- oxen, horses, camels, etc. as well as village products and handicrafts. However, it is not just a trade fair. It goes beyond that and embraces various colors of life -- economic, poetic, musical, cultural, rural, urban, traditional and modern. Its life-blood is a compound of soul and beauty, of economy and tradition, of dreams and realities, of culture and progressiveness. Matthew Arnold told: "He saw the life steadily and saw it whole". Whenever I am in Gwalior Mela, I remember this line.
A century ago, the Gwalior Mela came into existence with the initiatives of the then ruler of Gwalior State, High Highness Madho Rao Scindia. The Mela, known as "Mela Maveshiaan" when it was started, was the result of the natural disasters which hit Gwalior twice in 1894 and in 1904 leaving the farmers starving and bewailing their ill-fate in the famines. In the year 1905, "Mela Maveshiaan" was started with a view to provide the farmers an opportunity for open bargaining with the farmers of other states and get competitive price for their agricultural products. Soon, it gained momentum and became famous beyond the boundaries of Gwalior State -- attracting sellers and buyers from all around. It became an important socio-economic phenomenon of the people of Gwalior. In the process of evolution, the administration of Mela fell into the hands of a nominated committee of people and businessmen. Maharaja Jiwaji Rao Scindia and, then, Mr. Madhav Rao Scindia further developed this trade fair. Today, Gwalior Trade Fair Authority (GTFA) administers its affairs.
The Cattle Fair is still an integral part of Gwalior Trade Fair. Some 10,000 animals - mainly cows, camels, oxen, buffaloes and horses - are sold during a short span. Art & Craft Sector of Gwalior Trade Fair is a major attraction for the visitors where sculptors, wood-carvers, ceramic artists, weavers and several other like-minded professionals participate from all over Madhya Pradesh and other states. Apart from satisfying the creative thirst of the artists and exposing them to an atmosphere of appreciation and recognition, the business yields them an approximate income of o. 70 lakh.
Major cut down on important commodities is another attraction of Gwalior Trade Fair. This is especially a great gift for the middle class consumers who have a modest budget for costly dreams. Scooter, Motorcycle, TV., Washing Machine, Camera, Music System, Juicer & Grinder, Molded Furniture, Kitchen Machine, Microwave Oven, Refrigerator, Cooler, Wooden furniture, and what not! There is an ever-expanding list! Gwalior Mela is the 'season' when at least few of the dreams can be bought within budget and, may be, with some free gifts inside!
So, make hay while the sun shines and visit the 'Mela' if you can ?.. and enjoy the life king-size. This is all-embracing, all-entertaining. From 'Dangal' to 'Kavi Sammelan', from Kashmiri shawls to Rajasthani 'Chundaris', from Haryanvi 'Lehngas' to 'Chanderi' sarees, from international circus to jugglers' shows, from Agra's 'Pethe' to Gwalior's 'Gazak', from Mathura's 'Pede' to Bihar's 'Khaza', from electronic exhibitions to book stalls, from pincers to lawn mowers, from 'Kavvalis' to Padmini's dance - imagine whatever and see them in the Mela. It truly ?saw the life steadily and saw it whole?. This is the ocean where all rivers meet with a warble of contentment. With its wide spectrum, it has greatly contributed to the economic life of the state and has woven a fabric of social life where collectivity and collaboration show the path of prosperity.

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