Bengali year ending with Charak Utsav !
Bengali year ending is still celebrated through
CHARAK UTSAV & MELA at Beadon Street in North
Calcutta.This tradition has been going on for
more than 200 years & people of Kolkata & many
foreigners take great interest in witnessing
Sanyasis swinging round & round the Charak Tree.
After a month long fasting they offer prayer to
Lord Mahadev. They go through a lot of hardship
which includes jumping from a height of 15 to 20ft
bamboo structures to sharp knives (Bonti )& other
harmful materials. This happens at Chatu Babu's Bazar.
On Poila Baishak they finally sit down for a
sumptuous lunch at Chatu Babu's Thakurbari
which marks the ending of their fasting month.
It was probably in this Charak Mela where Swami
Vivekananda held a running horse when it went berserk !
After all Swamiji lived nearby & could have attended this
Chaitra Sankranti Mela !
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