Toys fair keeps tradition of Silk City alive

BERHAMPUR: Centuries-old effort to promote and market traditional toys still survives in the silk city in the form of Kandhei Jatra, a festival of traditional toys. The celebration of this festival started on Tuesday evening at the Khaspa street area of the city. It would continue throughout the night. But it was a festival where the traditional toys were the centre of attraction. Toys made up of clay, cow dung, paper mache, coir and wood tried to show up their market value along with the plastic toys and electronic gizmos for children.
The traditional fair of toys is held every year on the night of Sravana Purnima. As per localites it is more than three centuries old tradition. In Berhampur this unique fair of traditional toys is also held just a few days after Rath yatra. The idol of lord Jagannath at the oldest Jagannath temple in the city at Khaspa street also gets decorated with toys of mythical characters to convey their importance. The fair continues throughout the night. Recently the local people formed an organisation called Kandhei Jatra Committee to keep alive this unique tradition. Now cultural programmes have become adages to keep alive the celebrations throughout the night. They do not want to shift the location of this fair although the Khaspa street is quite congested as the fair is related to the old Jagannath temple in the street. Traditional toy makers from the city, rural areas of Ganjam district as well as from adjoining Andhra Pradesh reach this fair to sell off their creations. Like a village fair, they open up makeshift shops on both sides of the Khaspa street road.Recently a local cultural organisation, Ama Sanskruti Ama Parampara, is trying to enliven this unique tradition.
Source: The Hindu