Poush Mela is held every December in Shantiniketan — the university town founded by Rabindranath Tagore — and is the best place to hear Baul music in its natural context. Bauls are Bengal’s wandering minstrel-mystic tradition, and the Mela brings together the best practitioners from across the state.
The mela also has traditional crafts, handloom textiles, pottery, and the specific winter atmosphere of the red-soil Birbhum plateau at the end of the year.
Getting there
Train from Sealdah to Bolpur (2.5 hours), then toto to Shantiniketan. The trains fill up completely during Mela — book tickets weeks in advance. December is cold by Bengal standards (10–15°C at night) — bring layers.