For hundreds of years people have been using money as a medium to trade things. Essential commodities as well as precious gems and metals. The whole world depends upon on this system but in the State Assam which lies on the northeastern part of India people still barter for essential commodities. This happens only in a fair known as Joonbeel Mela, a community fair in Assam. It is a three-day community fair celebrated during Bhogali Bihu or Magh Bihu which falls somewhere is mid January, and is usually the end of the harvesting season. The Joonbeel Mela dates backs several centuries and is a most attractive and unique festival. It takes place at Dayang in Joonbeel in Assam. It attracts large crowds and is famous for its barter system which comes alive when people - mostly tribes from different places come all the way to join this community fair. During the Mela, a huge market or bazaar is held for people to exchange their goods with people from other areas. Goods like herbs, dried fish, ginger, spices, and fruits are bartered for rice, pithas, fish and other produce, which cannot be grown in this hilly area. Tribal communities such as Tiwa, Khasi, Jayantia and Karbi descend the hills prior to the fair with their products to barter them in the Mela and to enjoy the Mela with harmony and brotherhood with the other tribal communities. While bartering they compare each other’s goods before finally making the exchange. The king of the Tiwa tribe, Gobharaja visits the mela to collect taxes (interview – About Gobharaja). Other than bartering, Joonbeel Mela features Community fishing which marks the beginning of the Mela that usually takes place in the wetlands of Joonbeel (community fishing footage….). Before the start of Joonbeel Mela an Agni puja or fire worship is held for the well being of the people there and for a good harvest for next season. All kinds of merchandise stalls are available at the Mela and are visited by the vibrant crowd. Traditionally followed customs like cock-fights are also performed even though this is now banned in most states in India. Joonbeel Mela is not only about fun and brotherhood but is a tradition that has been followed for ages. This footage is part of the professionally-shot broadcast stock footage archive of Wilderness Films India Ltd., the largest collection of HD imagery from South Asia. The collection comprises of 100, 000+ hours of high quality broadcast imagery, mostly shot on HDCAM / SR 1080i High Definition, Alexa, SR, XDCAM and 4K. Write to us for licensing this footage on a broadcast format, for use in your production! We are happy to be commissioned to film for you or else provide you with broadcast crewing and production solutions across South Asia. We pride ourselves in bringing the best of India and South Asia to the world... Please subscribe to our channel wildfilmsindia on Youtube for a steady stream of videos from across India. Also, visit and enjoy your journey across India at www.clipahoy.com , In
