In a first, stall booking for Santiniketan’s prestigious Poush Mela to be entirely online

Poush Mela, a winter fair in Santiniketan that dates back to 1894 and is considered a matter of pride for the Visva-Bharati University, will be held this year from December 23-28 and, for the first time, booking for stalls is entirely being done online to check corruption.

Online booking opened on Monday (December 15, 2025) and during the first two days, only those individuals and institutions who had participated in the 2024 Poush Mela will be allowed to book against online payment of the charges. They are expected to fill 75-80% of the nearly 1,300 stalls that will be set up for the fair. From December 17, bookings will be open to all.

“Online booking ensures transparency. It had earlier been noticed that a lot of local shopkeepers made multiple bookings and sold them as sub-leases at high prices,” a senior faculty member of Visva-Bharati said, asking not to be named. The fair is organised by the Santiniketan Trust with the support of the Rabindranath Tagore-founded university.

In its long history, only on three occasions was the Poush Mela cancelled — during the Bengal famine of 1943, the aftermath of Direct Action Day in 1946, and during the COVID-19 pandemic from 2020-22. In 2023, Visva-Bharati provided the traditional venue but the event was organised by the State government. Finally, in 2024, the Santiniketan Trust resumed organising it with the support of the university.

“Despite the challenges faced during these periods, the Mela has stood the test of time, evolving and growing into a cultural phenomenon that captivates visitors from around the globe. It is part and parcel of the university’s hallowed tradition. We are going to organise it in strict adherence to the guidelines laid down by the National Green Tribunal,” Visva-Bharati Public Relations Officer Atig Ghosh said, adding, “This year’s Mela is in all respects similar to the one held last year, save the fact that, this year, stall-booking is being done entirely through the online mode.”

With the rapid rise of travel and marketing, handicraft and handloom products are now available in Santiniketan throughout the year, but the Poush Mela is still considered an integral part of Debendranath Tagore’s vision of Santiniketan.