Geo-Analyst ( ISSN 2249-2909), Vol.1, No.2 2011 SANTINIKETAN POUSH MELA: AN ECONO-CULTURAL AND ECOLOGICAL REVIEW Priyanka Das Abstract: Santiniketan Po!s" #ela is a le$en%ary so&io-&!lt!ral $at"erin$ in 'est (en$al )"ere lar$e n!*+er o, -eo-le )it" %i,,erent &astes an% &ree%s are inte$rate% e.ery year ,ro* %i,,erent nooks o, t"is &o!ntry an% a+roa%. A+o!t 13/0 stalls o, %i,,erent kin%s "a.e taken -art in t"e 2010. It is a $oo% -la&e )"ere &ra,ts*an e0&"an$e t"eir e0&ellen&ies o, skill, &!lt!rally e1!i--e% $ro!-s an% in%i.i%!al &lai* t"eir &!lt!ral e0-ertise. Di,,erent .!lnera+le &!lt!res ,in% ,res" +reat" o, s!r.i.al an% lo&al ri&ks"a) -!llers en2oy relia+le e&ono*i& re.i.al. (!t, re&ently, t"e stron$ onsla!$"t o, "i$"ly -ro,it &entri&, &ons!*eristi& *oti.ation o, t"e s"ark +!siness*en, t"e -oor &ra,ts*en is +ein$ en%an$ere%. 3"e r!%i*entary *otto o, 4G!r!%e.5 6a+in%ranat" 3a$ore to "a.e ass!re% inte$rate% e&ono-&!lt!ral %e.elo-*ent o, t"e r!ral e0-ertise "as to so*e e0tent !n%er$one into *eta*or-"is*. 'it"in .ery s&ar&e s-atial an% in,rastr!&t!ral en.iron*ent, "!$e -o-!lation -ress!res, -ress!re o, &o**er&ial stalls "a.e a%%e% anot"er -ro+le*ati& %i*ension like air -oll!tion, so!n% -oll!tion an% $ar+a$e -oll!tion )"ic" are not e&olo$i&ally s!--orta+le. In this -resent st!%y, .ario!s o!tskirts o, &!lt!ral, e&olo$i&al an% e&ono*ic -ro,iles "a.e +een o!tline%. Keywords: Life Style, Riksha Puller, Pollutants, Cottage Industry, Cultural Environment Introduct on: In *e*ory o, t"e in%o&trinate% %ay (21st De&e*+er 1743) o, #a"ars"i De+en%ranat" 3a$ore in 8(ra*"o D"ar*a9 as )ell as esta+lis"*ent o, 4:-asana #an%ir5 (;th Po!s", 1297 in (en$ali <alen%ar an% 21st De&e*+er in 1791) s!&" a !ni.ersal Santiniketan Po!s" #ela +e$an to start. 3"e r!%i*entary -"iloso-"y an% s-irit o, t"is *ela a&&or%in$ to -re&!rsors De.en%ranat" 3a$ore an% "is son 4G!r!%e.5 6a+in%ranat" 3a$ore )ere to &reate s!&" a &on%!&tive s&o-e )"ere r!ral an% !r+an -eo-le )o!l% a+le to intera&t &or%ially +y "eart an% so!l in res-e&t to t"eir all sorts o, li,estyle, &reati.ity, $enerosity, &!lt!ral s-e&ialty, s-irit!ality an% so on. In t"e -erio% o, its initiation, t"is *ela )as ins an% o!ts r!ral &entri& +!t )it" t"e ,ast &"an$in$ -assa$e o, ti*e, no) Santiniketan Po!s" #ela is &"ara&teri=e% +y -o*-o!s %a==lin$ an% !-roar o, -ro,it *on$er +!siness*en, national an% *!ltinational &o*-anies, t"eir -ro%!&t *arketin$ an% e0"ibition. Des-erate onsla!$"t o, +!siness &ir&le, "a.e al*ost !-roote% t"e -oor r!ral &ra,ts*an an% t"eir nat!ral +!t so-"isticate% "an% *a%e arti&les. 3"e intolera+le $ro)t" o, $at"erin$ )it"in .ery li*ite% in,rastr!&t!ral ,a&ilities, en.iron*ental 1!alities on t"at -erio% "as +e&o*e s!,,o&ate% an% en%an$ere%. Ob!"ct #"s: In t"is -resent st!%y, an en%ea.o!r "as taken to o!tline t"e s&enario o, t"e Santiniketan Po!s" #ela )it" s-e&ial re,eren&e to so&io-e&ono*i& an% e&olo$i&al -ers-e&tives. Locat on: Santiniketan is 2!st 1 k* nort" o, to)n (ol-!r in (ir+"!* %istri&t )"i&" is 1/4 k* nort" o, >olkata. Santiniketan is *ainly !niversally ,a*o!s +e&a!se o, 6a+in%ranat" 3a$ore an% "is a*a=in$ &reation, Vis.a-("arati :ni.ersity. Databas" and M"t$odolo&': ?ayo!t o, *ela, re&or%s o, stall "a.e +een &olle&te% ,ro* #ela <o**ittee o, Santiniketan Po!s" #ela, De-art*ent o, P.6.@. o, Vis.a-("aratiA Poll!tion %ata ,ro* t"e <entre ,or Bn.iron*ental St!%ies o, Vis.a-("arati, Ak"il ("arat ("!.i%ya @ Pari.es" Sa*iti (N.G.@.) o, Santiniketan, ,or 2001-2002 an% ,ro* De-art*ent o, Bn.iron*ent an% 'est (en$al Poll!tion <ontrol (oar%. So&io-e&ono*i& in,or*ation is %eri.e% t"ro!$" 1!estionnaire s!r.ey. Econo( c R"# ") : In ,irst o&&!rren&es o, Po!s" #ela (1794), only 30 to 40 te*-orary s"o-kee-ers %e&orate% t"e *ela )"i&" )as in&rease% to 1200 %!rin$ 2004 an% 13/0 %!rin$ 2010. @r$ani=in$ e0-en%it!re o, this *ela )as 3339 IN6 %!rin$ 1794 +!t no) it is *ore t"an 1;/000 IN6. Durin$ Po!s" #ela (23rd to 2/th De&e*+er) Santiniketan +e&o*es t"e %ensest s-a&e +e&a!se lak"s o, -eo-le $at"er in t"is ti*e. As -er "!$e &on&entration o, -o-!lation an% s"o-kee-ers a lar$e s!* o, e&ono*i& transa&tion is $enerally &on%!&te%. 3"e ,ollo)in$ ta+le re.eals t"e nat!re o, transa&tion. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6esear&" S&"olar, De-tt. o, Geo$ra-"y, Vis.a-("arati, Santiniketan, 'est (en$al 33 Geo-Analyst ( ISSN 2249-2909), Vol.1, No.2 2011 Tab%"-*: P"r da' a#"ra&" sa%"s structur" o+ d ++"r"nt , nds o+ sta%%s- ./*/ Sta%% T'0"s P"r da' a#"ra&" sa%" n INR1sta%% S)eet ;/2/ Dokra 1/00 Coot"-at" 1490 6esta!rant 14/00 Stationary 34/0 B0"i+ition 2D377 Ean%i&ra,ts 9/00 S"a)l-atti 31400 'oo%en ,!rnit!re 1D/00 A*!se*ent 1/200 35000 Econo( c Transact on n D ++"r"nt Sta%%s 30000 25000 20000 15000 aei Rs# Salesin 10000 5000 0 Dokra Sweet ooden furniture Exhibition Foothpath Stationary Shawlpatti Restaurant Handicrafts !"use"ent Ci$. 1 E++"ct o+ Pous$ M"%a on t$" Loca% R c,s$a) Pu%%"rs: No), stron$ &o*-etitions "a.e in&rease% a*on$ t"e* an% e0ten%e% ,a&ilities o, to)n ser.ice +!ses "a.e s1!ee=e% t"eir relati.e le.el o, earnin$. So, t"e t)o ,r!it,!l -erio%s 4Po!s" #ela5 an% 4(asanta :tsa.5 are to so*e e0tent a,,or% t"e* to "a.e a&"ie.e% relia+le in&o*e. As lar$e n!*+er o, to!rists %!rin$ Po!s" #ela -erio% are &on&entrate%, t"e ri&ks"a) -!llers %o )ork !nrest )it" toil an% *oil ,or %ay an% ni$"t. In t"is -erio%, e.ery ri&ks"a) -!llers earn *ore t"an 6s. 1;/. A+o!t 20 %ays in&l!%in$ 1/th De&e*+er to /th Fan!ary s!&" a -ro*isin$ &on%ition $enerally $oes on. Tab%"-. : P"r Da' A#"ra&" Inco(" o+ R c,s$a) Pu%%"rs 2"+or" M"%a 3*/ Da's4 Dur n& M"%a 35 Da's4 and A+t"r Pous$ M"%a 3** Da's4 o+ ./*/ Inco(" Inco(" n Inco(" n Inco(" n Dat" Dat" Dat" Dat" n Rs6 Rs6 Rs6 Rs6 13De&. 9/ 19De&. 110 2/De&. 21/ 31De&. 1D0 14De&. 97 20De&. 107 2DDe&. 20/ 1 Fan. 220 1/De&. 9; 21De&. 127 2;De&. 19/ 2 Fan. 20/ 1DDe&. 97 22De&. 170 27De&. 170 3 Fan. 140 1;De&. 102 23De&. 210 29De&. 172 4Fan. 134 17De&. 110 24De&. 230 30De&. 190 /Fan. 132 So!r&e G Dire&t intera&tion )it" ri&ks"a) -!llers. 34 Geo-Analyst ( ISSN 2249-2909), Vol.1, No.2 2011 Int"r Stat" and Intra Stat" I(( &rat on o+ Sta%% K""0"rs: Santiniketan Po!s" #ela is so ,a*o!s that lar$e n!*+er o, stalls *ainly %i,,erent &o-o-erati.e so&ieties $at"er "ere. ?ar$e n!*+er o, stalls ,ro* Fa**! an% >as"*ir (*ainly )it" s"a)l an% )oolen %resses), (i"ar (iron )orks), Earyana (Ean%loo*), so*e stalls ,ro* :ttar Pra%es", >erala, An%"ra Pra%es", >arnataka, @rissa, #a%"ya Pra%es" 2oin s-ontaneo!sly in this o&&asion. Intra state or inter %istri&t i**i$ration -attern in%i&ates t"at stalls )it" .aryin$ n!*+er ,ro* %i,,erent %istricts take -art in t"is #ela. As -er t"e &ontri+!tion, (ar%%"a*an, 24 Par$anas, >olkata, #!rs"i%a+a% %e*an% s-e&ial *entiona+le s-a&e. Tab%"-5 : Int"r Stat" I(( &rat on o+ Sta%%s 3./*/4 Na(" o+ Nu(b"r Na(" o+ Nu(b"r Na(" o+ Nu(b"r Na(" o+ Nu(b"r t$" Stat" o+ sta%%s t$" Stat" o+ sta%%s t$" Stat" o+ sta%%s t$" Stat" o+ sta%%s FH> 22 (i"ar 14 >arnataka 1 Assa* 2 Earyana 2 @rissa 3 >erala 2 #anip!r 1 Uttar An%"ra #a%"ya 2 1 F"ark"an% 1D 1 Pra%es" Pra%es" Pra%es" So!rceG 8P!+li& Relation @,,i&e, Vis.a-Bharati, Santiniketan.