Issue Date: May 1-15, 2007, Posted On: 5/9/2007 Food, fun at fair celebrating harvest festival Baisakhi event attracts 2,000, say organizers By Susan Haverson |
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BOSTON — Columns of velvety red globes marked the entrance. The tantalizing smell of spices wafted down the stairs, as a group of women in brilliantly colored saris stood engrossed in conversation. Vendors served sugarcane juice to people lining up to sample the drink, as live bhangra dances and music occupied the stage. The Baisakhi fair organized by the group Bollywood Talent, on April 21 at the Boston Center for the Arts, offered something for everyone. Nearly 2,000 people and 45 vendors were at the event, according to organizers. The fair, traditionally held to mark the harvest festival in Punjab, also marks the anniversary of the creation of the Sikh Khalsa, literally meaning, “community of the pure.” Perhaps the most distinct Punjabi tradition in the United States, bhangra, was on display, with five members from the group Virsa Punjab Da exploding on stage with exuberance. A crowd spontaneously gathered in front of the stage as they were dancing. Priyanka Chawla of Medford, Mass., the sister of one of the performers, said watching her brother perform was amazing. “I had so much fun,” she said. “With the music and the clothes on and all the people cheering for them, it was a different experience [than watching them rehearse].” After the group left, the deejay continued to play similar music, and the audience danced as the performers had. The newly-formed Boston chapter of Vibha, a nonprofit organization with 165 projects in India for underprivileged children, was participating in its first Boston festival. Volunteer Geetika Rastogi of Medford said she met a few potential volunteers and was pleased with the turnout “for a start.” Her booth, which attracted many children, featured free cookie decorating. They gave away 200 cookies shaped like people, stars, and daisies. Food was the major attraction for some, as juices, lassi, ice creams and other items were on sale. Dallas-based Jas and Hari Singh had shipped a freezer of kulfi dessert bars to Boston, and offered nine flavors of the Punjabi ice cream at the event. Nearly 450 dessert bars were sold, and it also yielded a business relationship for the Singhs. Romi Jaggi of Westborough, Mass. went to the fair with his wife and daughters, and tried the kulfis on the suggestion of his friend. On sampling them, he said, he decided to ship the freezer to his store, India Grocers, in Marlborough, Mass. There were a few vendors who made the trip from New Jersey; among them, Poonam Kalia of Poonam Jewels of Old Bridge. She said her bangles and bracelets seemed most popular, and said she may return if there were another similar festival in Boston. Less happy about the turnout was Raj Thapar of Amba Boutique in Parlin, N.J. Although he had 15 to 20 customers at the event, he said the attendance and response were “just okay.” While some of the bhangra dancers also expressed a wish for more attendees, those who had come to the event seemed happy to be there. Robert Wong of Boston said his 3-year-old daughter “loved the sparkly clothes.” He said he liked the diversity offered by such events. “Boston needs more [of these events],” he said. Chawla said she liked the event for its variety and proximity to Boston. “Usually, they don’t have Baisakhi melas, or events like this on such a large scale in and around Boston,” she said, adding that it was nice to have an event of this scale in Boston. In spite of great weather outside, people went indoors to celebrate spring. Attendees willingly traded sunlight for the jewelry displayed for sale, the colors of flowers starting to open outside for the abundance of color of fabrics inside, and the sound of birds outside for the dance-inspiring music inside. |
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