HIGHLIGHTS
Varanasi | This time Teej is in full swing in the city of seven times nine festivals. Even before the Teej festival, women are immersed in the fun of Teej and are seen doing Teej shopping. Now the festival of Teej, which is the festival of Sohal Shringar, should happen and it cannot be completed without shopping.
Giving a unique look to women’s shopping, ‘Shravani Teej Mela’ is organized every year by Mahila Mandal Kashi with the thought of making women self-reliant and taking the initiative to move forward at every step.
This fair has been organized by Mahila Mandal Kashi at Shubham Banquet Hall in Varanasi. The fair was started by lighting the lamp for all the members of the organization together.
Mahila Mandal Kashi was established 89 years ago
If we talk about the organization, then this organization (Mahila Mandal Kashi) is the first women’s organization in Banaras. Mahila Mandal Kashi was established in the year 1934 and when women were very weak and were kept behind in everything, it has been established to eliminate it and make women self-reliant.
This fair is being organized for the last 46 years, which means this time it is the 46th year of this Shravani Teej fair.
Women were getting entry into the fair by taking tokens
To enter the fair one has to take an entry token which was available there for Rs.30. The convenors of the organization (Mahila Mandal Kashi) were sitting there near the gate of the hall forming a team and allowing all the incoming women to enter the fair only after giving them tokens.
A total of 80 stalls were set up at the fair
The 46th Shravani Teej fair has been organized by Mahila Mandal Kashi. Mahila Mandal Kashi is the first women’s organization of Banaras, 88 years old. About 70-75 stalls have been set up at this fair organized by it.
This organization (Mahila Mandal Kashi) which is a good thinker and successful in its best effort, organizes this fair every year and uses the income from it for charity.
The hub of trendy fashion and Malti cuisine
The hub of modern fashion and Malti cuisine is being seen at this fair. If we talk about the stalls, apart from the colorful costumes on the stalls set up in this fair, items ranging from worship material to cosmetics are also decorated.
Somewhere kurtas and lehengas were visible, and somewhere jewelry stalls were tempting women. This is the reason why a crowd of women have gathered to shop at every stall.
Pink meenakari, stone latticework, and zardozi are the center of main attractions in this fair organized by Mahila Mandal Kashi. Not only this, the process of women’s shopping continues. In the fair, women are seen shopping fiercely for their favorite items. It can be easily guessed by looking at the crowd of women at every stall.
Apart from local workers, people from other cities also put up stalls
Apart from Banaras, products from Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Kanpur, Delhi, Allahabad, and Jaipur have been displayed at these stalls. Stalls of Banaras’ spicy chaat and other delicious dishes have also been set up here.
Stalls have also been given to local craftsmen and artisans at this fair. Pink meenakari, stone jali work, and zardozi are the main attractions at their stalls.
This fair works as a platform for women to reach a point
President of Mahila Mandal Kashi, Prema Aggarwal said that there has been a lot of change since the earlier times. Earlier there used to be a fair of only sarees, but now a total of 80 stalls are set up here and every variety is available here.
From all the stall holders to the women who come here for shopping, everyone is very happy and they are also encouraged a lot. So that he can achieve a position in the future.
How much has changed from earlier times to the present
Veena Gupta, former president of the organization (Mahila Mandal Kashi) told that earlier women used to sell only sarees and at that time when we started the fair, only 15-20 stalls were set up, but times changed, people changed and fashion changed.
After which we gave a bigger form to this fair here. In today’s time, 70 to 80 stalls are set up here and every year we look forward to this fair.
He also told that the organization (Mahila Mandal Kashi) works unitedly for organizing this fair. Along with this, the aim of the organization is that we have got better success in this and we use the income from here for charity.
The income from the fair is used for charity
On the purpose of the fair, Mahila Mandal Kashi’s minister Parul Deva said that along with social service, we started organizing this fair to make women self-reliant and we donate the income from it to charity.
Each stall is attractive in its own place
Pallavi Agarwal, convenor of Mahila Mandal Kashi, told that all the stalls in this fair are attracting everyone with their items at their respective places. Workers from not only Banaras but also from other cities have set up their stalls in this fair.
The foundation of the institution was laid by Ratneshwari Devi in 1934
Mahila Mandal Kashi convenor Malini Chowdhary told that in 1934, the foundation of this organization (Mahila Mandal Kashi) was laid by Ratneshwari Devi.
To do something for the women who could not get out of the house and to take women forward at every step, this fair was organized by Mahila Mandal Kashi. So that women come out of the house, do something and move forward.
Divine Sanskarshala’s stall attracted everyone
Out of all the stalls put up in this fair by Mahila Mandal Kashi, one such stall was put up which attracted everyone towards it. The specialty of this stall was that all the things displayed here were made by the children of the slum.
Harsh Agarwal, co-founder of Divine Sanskarshala told that all these things like key rings, hangings, and torans are all made by the children of our NGO. All these things are handmade and we use the income earned by selling these things for the education and future of the children.
Women enjoyed the fair
Hundreds of women have come to this fair to enjoy the fair. As the day progressed, the crowd of women kept increasing at the fair. Now the fair and women, how can any woman miss buying it like the women you meet in the fair?
Women made huge purchases of items related to Teej and Raksha Bandhan. The coordinators of the fair were Manju Agarwal, Malni Chowdhary, and Pallavi Agarwal.
The program was very successful with the joint efforts of President Mahila Mandal Kashi Prema Agarwal, Minister Parul Deva, and their team. Taking care of the environment, plastic was banned and everyone was urged to bring their own shopping bags from home.