JAGIROAD, Jan 22 � The historic �Junbeel Mela�, held annually on the eve of the Tiwa Tribes� Bhogali Bihu celebration, got under way today with great enthusiasm on the banks of �Junbeel�, a natural water body after which the Mela has been named, 4 km from Jagiroad in Morigaon district.
The three-day Mela is being held under the auspices of the Gobha Tiwa Deo-Raja Junbeel Samiti at the direction of the Gobha Tiwa Deo-Raja Rajdarbar.
Deep Sing Deo-Raja, the ceremonial �king� of Gobha kingdom, along with his �ministerial� followers � Borbaruah, Senapati, Deka-Doloi, Arandhara, Khatoniar etc � assembled at the Mela ground this afternoon to attend a community feast which was also joined by a host of other personalities from the Tiwa tribe, and other dignitaries.
Over 3,000 hills people from Karbi Anglong district and some from outside the state, like Meghalaya, have already started assembling at the Junbeel Pathar, where they have put up temporary sheds for their stay during the event.
The indigenous �barter system� will be on display tomorrow morning at the Mela ground, in which the hills people will barter their usable household items with the plains people. This will be followed by community fishing at the Junbeel in which the local people will take part.
