Jonbeel Mela

2020-07-04T07:41:38Z

2402:3A80:DEC:D28:2457:B7FF:FEDE:E8CC:

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2020}}
{{Infobox recurring event
| name = Jonbeel Mela<br/><small>(Indigenous Tiwa community fair)</small>
| image =
| imagesize = 250px
| caption = Main entrance gate of Jonbeel Mela
| location = Dayang Belguri, [[Morigaon district|Morigaon]], [[Assam]]
| first = 15th century AD
| date = January or February
| frequency = Annual
| website =
}}
'''Jonbeel Mela''' (pron:ˈʤɒnˌbi:l ˈmeɪlə) ({{Lang-as|জোনবিল মেলা}}, Hindi: जोनबिल मेला) is a three-day annual indigenous Tiwa Community fair held the weekend of [[Magh Bihu]] at a historic place known as Dayang Belguri at Joonbeel. It is 3 km from [[Jagiroad]] in [[Morigaon]] district of Assam<ref name="ab">{{cite web|url=http://www.assamtimes.org/social/904.html|title=Jonbeel Mela drawing a large number of visitors|last=Borthakur|first=Dibya Jyoti|date=19 January 2008|publisher=Assam Times|accessdate=2009-10-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090108081914/http://www.assamtimes.org/Social/904.html|archive-date=8 January 2009|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref name="ef">{{cite web |url=http://www.aryabhatt.com/fast_fair_festival/Fairs/Jonbeel_Mela.htm|title=Jonbeel Mela |accessdate=2009-10-23}}</ref><ref name="gh">{{cite web|url=http://www.121indiatourism.com/assam-tourism/jonbeel-mela.html |title=Assam Fairs & Festivals |publisher=121indiatourism.com |accessdate=2009-10-23 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707054810/http://www.121indiatourism.com/assam-tourism/jonbeel-mela.html |archivedate=2011-07-07 }}</ref><ref name="ij">{{cite web |url=http://www.indiawijzer.nl/tourism_travelling_to_india/fairs_and_festivals/january/jonbeel.htm|title=Joonbeel Mela – Assam|publisher=Indiawijzer.nl|accessdate=2009-10-23}}</ref> and 32 km from [[Guwahati]]. The [[National Highway (India)|National Highway]] connecting the mela is [[National Highway 37 (India)|NH 37]].<ref name="ef" /><ref name="ij" /> The Joonbeel (''Joon'' and ''[[Beel]]'' are [[Assamese language|Assamese]] terms for the [[Moon]] and a [[wetland]] respectively) is so called because a large natural water body is shaped like a [[Lunar phase|crescent moon]].<ref name="ab" />

==History==
The mela is said to have begun not later than 15th century AD.<ref name="ab" /> It was first organized ago by the [[Tiwa people (Lalung)|Tiwa (Lalung)]] to discuss the prevailing political situations.{{fact|date=February 2020}}
[[File:Jonbeel Fair 12.jpg|thumb|Exchange of products through barter system]]

==Barter system==
[[File:Tiwa woman.jpg|thumb|left|An indigenous Assamese woman belonging to the Tiwa community]]
During the occasion a huge bazaar is held. A few days before the mela starts, indigenous tribal communities of Assam Hills and neighborhood like [[Tiwa (Lalung)|Hills Tiwa]], [[Karbi people|Karbi]], Khasi, and Jayantia of the northeast come down from the hills with products and interchange their merchandise with the native indigenous Assamese people in a [[barter system]].<ref name="ef" /><ref name="gh" /><ref name="ij" /> It is said to be a hi-tech age barter system and perhaps the only fair in India where barter system is still alive.<ref name="ab" /><ref name="gh" /><ref name="ij" />
[[File:A Tiwa Women Preparing food.jpg|thumb|A Tiwa woman preparing food at the mela]]

==Significance==
Before the mela takes place, an ''[[Agni|Agni Puja]]'' ([[fire worship]]) is performed for the well-being of the mankind<ref name="ef" /><ref name="gh" /><ref name="ij" /> The mela starts with community fishing in the Joonbeel wetland. [[File:Jonbeel Fair 5.jpg|thumb|An indigenous Assamese lady with her child at Joonbeel Fair]] The theme of the mela is harmony and brotherhood among the indigenous Assamese communities and tribes scattered in the [[Northeast India]]. The Gobha King along with his courtiers visits the mela and collects taxes from his subjects.<ref name="gh" /><ref name="ij" /> People perform their traditional dance and music, making the atmosphere one of joy and fun.<ref name="ef" /><ref name="ij" />

==Royal allowance==
On 17 January 2009 the [[Government of Assam]] announced an "Annual Royal Allowance" for the 19 customary kings from communities under the Gobha Kingdom that includes parts of three districts of present Assam: [[Morigaon]], [[Nagaon]] and [[Kamrup Rural district|Kamrup]]. The Education Minister of Assam, [[Gautam Bora]], distributing the bank cheques among the kings, said that the monetary assistance will be something between Rs. 3000 to Rs. 10,000 depending on the population count under them.<ref name="cd">{{cite web |url=http://epaper.sakaaltimes.com/ST/ST/2009/01/18/ArticleHtmls/18_01_2009_003_025.shtml|title=JONBEEL FAIR - Royal allowance for Kings of Assam|last=Sharma|first=Anup|date=18 January 2009 |publisher=Sakaltimes.com |accessdate=2009-10-23}} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref>

===Reactions===
Expressing their great delight at the initiative taken by the government the kings welcomed the move.<ref name="cd" />
*Gobha King Deep Sing said, "It is a welcome move by the government of Assam. We have been demanding this for a long time as the economic condition of all these customary kings is going down. If we do not receive any assistance from the government, it would be difficult to maintain even the tradition of hosting the annual Joonbeel Mela, which has become an important tourist destination."
*Ahom King Susenfa Pratap Singha had said, "The Mela was initiated by our predecessors to maintain cordial relations among all the indigenous Assamese communities. The government assistance would help to fulfil the predecessors' dreams."

==In fiction==
There is an elaborate references of the mela in [[Rita Chowdhury]]'s Sahitya Akademy Award-winning novel ''[[Deo Langkhui]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.assamtribune.com/mar1309/mosaic1.html|title=Between the lines|last=Saikia|first=Samiran|accessdate=2009-10-23}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commonscat|Jonbeel mela}}
*[http://tiwatribe.blogspot.in Tiwa Tribe]
*[[Tiwa (Lalung)]]
*[https://www.facebook.com/tiwayouthassociation Tiwa Youth Association (TYA)]
*[https://www.facebook.com/thewildlalungsnortheastindia The Wild Lalungs]
*[[Deo Langkhui]]
*[[Tiwa language (India)]]
[[Category:Culture of Assam]]

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Jonbeel Mela