Chittagong: The 115th edition of Jabbar’s bowling is today Thursday (April 25). This traditional game is played every year on the afternoon of 12 Baisakh.
The Boishakhi fair is spread over one square kilometer of Kotwali, Laldighi, Cinema Palace, Andarkilla around the game.
The specialty of this fair is that in Greater Chittagong, households buy daily household items from the fair.
There is a popular saying – needle and flower beds are also sold at this fair in Laldighi. A few crores of rupees are sold in the fair.
The day before and the day after the game is a three-day Baisakhi fair, but this time the sales started several days earlier. In the morning and afternoon there is more traffic of children and teenagers. During the day, women who are busy with the wind of Baisakhi, the heat, and the pressure of family work come to the fair at night. They shop in silence. The whole night does not sell. For the convenience of the buyers coming to the fair, the traffic department has issued special instructions for the movement of vehicles. Vigilance by law enforcement agencies has also been increased.
It has been seen on the ground that hand fans and mountain brooms are being sold more. There are various types of hand fans in the country made of palm leaves, bamboo, cane, and cloth. Due to heat and load shedding, the demand for hand fans is high this time.
Talked to Melaferat Hamid Ullah at Momin Road at 11 pm. A pair of brooms in hand. He said, he took two and a half rupees.
Cinema palace area has huge range of cheap wooden furniture. All the beautiful rattan furniture, swings, showpieces are found in the southwest corner of Laldighi. Fodder Fair in North West corner. Next to Shimul cotton market.
The main attraction of the fair now is the beautiful clay handicrafts of banks, vases, pots, pitchers, jugs, glasses, water coolers, dolls, toys, portraits of gods and goddesses and famous people, jewellery, showpieces etc. Pottery Fair on both sides of Hazari Lane Road from Cinema Palace and in front of Laldighi Petrol Pump and Zilla Parishad Market. With the help of technology, day by day design is becoming as heartwarming as it is sustainable. The price is also increasing by leaps and bounds.
Cottage artefacts especially bamboo, rattan, twine hanging lamp frames, rope swings, toys, wooden dolls, boats, ektaras, dotaras, drums, vases, jewelery are increasing in value. Young people are flocking to these shops.
As usual there are stalls of silk bangles, glass bangles, pails, earrings, necklace sets all over the fair. There are hundreds of stalls of delicious food such as Khai, Gaja, Batasa, Jilapi, Sweets, Chanachur at Laldighi intersection.
Umm Salma, a housewife who came to the fair, said that everything that is needed in the world, from da, banti, knife, seatal patti to ast khat palank, is available in this fair. Chantgaias wait for this fair all year round. But you have to buy by bargaining.
Nagordola is sitting in a row at the northern end of the main Laldighi field. There is also a crowd of teenagers.
Vendors said that the number of shops in the fair is the same as the crowd. But there are more visitors than buyers. Many people come just to take pictures or make videos. We are still happy.
President of Abdul Jabbar Memorial Wrestling Competition and Boishakhi Mela Committee Zahar Lal Hazari said the stage is ready for ball game. Balira is registering names. Today is volleyball day. The fair will officially continue till the night of April 26 tomorrow.
In response to a question, he said, the fair committee does not collect subscription from any entrepreneurs, traders, shopkeepers from remote areas. This is being miked. If anyone demands a donation, please hand it over to the police.
In 1909, Abdul Jabbar Saudagar, a local rich merchant of Bakshirhat and a resident of Badarpati area, started volleyball competition. It is known that this businessman not only had love for volleyball but also love for the country. At that time, the movement to end the British rule in India was gathering momentum in Chittagong. Later this event was named after him.
Bangladesh Time: 0940 hrs, April 25, 2024
AR/TC
Tags: Chittagong hot volleyball fairs
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