Sachchida Nanda Dey Saday, Assasuni ( Satkhira) 

The Hindu community will celebrate the Chaitra Sankranti festival on Monday with the traditional Del Puja or Neel Puja. This event has long been associated with village fairs across rural Bengal. The Neel Mela, centered around this Puja, is an age-old and cherished tradition of Bengal. Throughout the month of Chaitra, performances of Del or Neel Dance used to be a common sight in household courtyards and local markets, drawing joy and participation from rural communities.

As part of this timeless Bengali celebration, villages are buzzing with festive fervor. Dressed in colorful costumes representing various deities, Neel Dance troupes entertain people with music and dance, inviting all to attend the grand Neel Puja and fairs of Chaitra Sankranti. People from all religions and communities join in the festivities, creating a lively and inclusive atmosphere. However, this rich tradition is slowly fading with time.

In places like Nowapara, Shetpur, Kundudia, Kadakati of Assasuni, and Habaspur, Fingri, Kultia, Mahishadahaanga, Bardar, Khassbagan, Rajapur in Satkhira, the Del or Neel Puja and associated fairs have been celebrated for over a hundred years on the day of Chaitra Sankranti.

Bikash Chandra Bachar from Nowapara village shared that each Del or Neel Dance troupe typically consists of 10–12 performers, dressed as Radha, Krishna, Shiva, Parvati, Narad, and ascetics or mystics. They perform songs and dances from morning till midnight, which is a beloved entertainment for the local people. After the Neel Puja, held on the day of the fair, the performances conclude. The dance troupes collect rice, lentils, and cash donations from households to fund the Puja.

Though Neel Puja is primarily a Hindu religious festival, the Chaitra Sankranti celebration has become a truly communal and inclusive event over the years. According to Gautam Banerjee, a prominent priest from Budhata village, the Del or Neel dance teams with 12 to 20 members perform across the region throughout the month of Chaitra. On the last day of the month, Neel Puja is held in villages like Budhata, Shetpur, and Kunduria in Assasuni.

This centuries-old tradition culminates in a full-day celebration with fairs marking Chaitra Sankranti. Bikash Banerjee, the priest of Budhata Dwadash Shiv-Kali Temple, explains that Neel Puja and the accompanying fair, while rooted in Hinduism, are an integral part of Bengali cultural heritage. This is a festival of transitions—marking the end of the old calendar year and welcoming the new. In Hindu mythology, Lord Shiva drank poison during the churning of the ocean, turning his throat blue—hence the association with the color neel (blue). In Vedic belief, twilight brings a deep blue darkness symbolizing the end of the year. Neel Puja or Shiva’s Gajan symbolizes this end and the hope for a new beginning filled with prosperity.

Cultural enthusiast Asim Kumar Dutta of Assasuni notes that Neel Puja is the final festival of the Bengali year, observed since time immemorial. With this celebration, the old year is bid farewell, and the Bengali New Year is ushered in. Unfortunately, various challenges have led to the gradual decline of the Neel Dance, the centerpiece of the festival. It is now rare to see the vibrant dances on Chaitra’s final days, as was once common.