Diwali and Sri Sri Kali Puja began in November 1783 at Kundu Bari of Gopalpur in Kalkini Municipality area of Madaripur district of Bangladesh.
Two people named Dinanath Kundu and Mahesh Kundu started the fair around this puja. Therefore, according to the name of the clan of Kundus, this fair is named Kundbari Mela. During this time, various Kali idols of the region were gathered on the day after Diwali. Prizes were given to those whose idols were the best of the highest. At that time, puppet dance, Kavigan, Jari song, Palagan, boat race were organized for entertainment. In the evolution of time, Palagan, Jari song, boat race is closed, but Nagar Dola is still organized. This fair is organized every year for generations. The fair is held in an area of about two kilometers.
Not only across Kundabari, hundreds of shops sit on both sides of Gopalpur area on the Dhaka-Barisal highway. Traders from different parts of the country are arranging different products. This fair is famous for different types of wooden furniture. Apart from Madaripur, traders from Faridpur, Rajbari, Gopalganj, Shariatpur, Barisal, Khulna, Bagerhat, Magura, Jashore, Narail and other districts brought their clay, bamboo and wooden products for sale by trucks.
Basu Dev Kunda, advisor of the Puja Udjapan Committee, said, “Our ancestors organized this fair on only 4 acres of land on the occasion of Diwali and Sri Sri Kali Puja. Later, gradually the size of this fair became bigger and spread to the surrounding area. Goods worth at least Rs 7-8 crore are sold in this mola every year, he said. Now it remains to be seen whether Mohammad Yunus, the head of the interim government of Bangladesh, bows to the Islamic militants and recognizes the closure of the fair, or takes initiative to keep the fair running.
On October 16 of every month, the 250-year-old fair of Kundubari in Madaripur is closed by Islamic jihadists in the name of shirk. During the Kali Puja at Kundu Bari of Gopalpur in Kalkini Municipality of Madaripur, the fair was declared closed permanently and banners were hung in the area. The banner reads, “From this year (2024), the fair of Kundu Bari has been declared closed permanently. People from all walks of life in implementation. Local Hindus were outraged to see the banner hung in the market.