The Assam Government has approached the UNESCO for declaring the historic 'Junbeel Mela' a Heritage Festival and a Heritage Site in Morigaon district.
District Deputy Commissioner Rakesh Kumar told PTI today that Chief Secretary Jitesh Khosla has written to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to accord special status to the Mela.
Kumar said the government had sought the special status as Junbeel Mela was "the rarest of the rarest festivals" where both tribals and non-tribals of Assam and Meghalaya practice a barter system for exchanging agricultural produces in a festive manner at the end of Assamese Magh Bihu period (Makar Sankranti).
The genealogy of the Mela can be traced back to the 15th century on the banks of the Moon-shaped (Jun) 'beel' (water body) with a three-day programme under the auspices of the then Gorbar kingdom with the participation of the Jaintia king of neighbouring Meghalaya.
The traditional barter system of exchanging agricultural products by both the hill and plains tribal people of Assam and Meghalaya still continues today in the Mela.
At the concluding function of the Mela today the Gorbha king collected the token royal taxes from 14 of the then kingdoms of Assam in Morigaon, Nagaon and Karbi Anglong districts and parts of Meghalaya.
