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BANKING TRADE AND COMMERCE
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FAIRS.
Fairs occupy an important place in the district trade. A fair
varies little from the weekly market so far as trade is concerned and consists of gatherings hardly known outside its own village to a concourse numbering some thousands and including some representatives from different parts of the district and
other adjoining districts. The fairs are complementary to weekly markets, so far as trade is concerned and are chiefly distribution centres. A considerable quantity of agricultural produce and all sorts of articles including cattle are brought for
sale.
Major Lucie Smith wrote about fairs in the following terms- "A large part of the wholesale business of the year is transacted at fairs, which meet annually at Chandrapur, Chimur,
Makanda, Bhandak and Warha the two first being by far the most important. Up to the end of 1866, the Hyderabad transit duty was worked so as not to interfere seriously with trade, and taking that year we find that the Chandrapur and Bhandak fairs were attended by 2,29.010 persons, while the value of the sales amounted to Rs. 20,55,843, giving the District a surplus in cash of Rs. 1,17,776." [Central Provinces District Gazetteers, Chanda District, 1909.]
Besides the above two places, fairs are held at 34 other places
in the district. The important of these, however, are Chimur,
Markanda, Warha, Nagbhir, Chandrapur and Bhandak. The
important items traded at fairs are the articles of daily requirements, fruits
and vegetables, sweet-meat and other eatables, potteries, grocery articles, wooden and other toys, utensils,
bangles, things useful for household purposes, cloth, ready-made
clothes, country blankets, etc. Pedlars, vendors and retail shop-keepers usually attend the fairs and sell their merchandise. The
buyers are the local people and people coming to the fairs from
the neighbouring areas. The transactions are carried on, on a
cash basis. The biggest fair is the Mahakali fair at Chandrapur. The following table gives in brief the turnover at the important fairs in the district.
TABLE No. 23
AVERAGE TURNOVER AT VARIOUS FAIRS IN CHANDRAPUR DISTRICT
[Source-Tahsildars of Chandrapur and Sironcha.] |
Serial No. |
Name of the fair |
Village/Town in which it is held |
Commodities sold |
Volume of turnover |
Value of turnover | |
Maximum |
Minimum |
Maximum |
Minimum | |
(1) |
(2) |
(3) |
(4) |
(5) |
(6) |
(7) |
(8) | |
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Rs. |
Rs. | |
1 |
Chaitra Paurnima |
Chandrapur Town |
Grain, cloth, Stationery |
3,000 |
2,000 |
5,50,000 |
25,000 | |
2 |
Kartik Paurnima |
Wadha |
Grain, Stationery |
1,000 |
700 |
25,000 |
11,500 | |
3 |
Somnath |
Maroda |
Do. |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- | |
4 |
Mahashivratra |
Kultha |
Do. |
1,000 |
700 |
25,000 |
11,500 | |
5 |
Mahashivratra |
Kalmana |
Do. |
500 |
300 |
7,000 |
2,000 | |
6 |
Shivratra |
Sironcha |
Grain, grocery |
-- |
-- |
3,000 |
2,000 | |
7 |
Moharram |
Do. |
Do. |
-- |
-- |
2,000 |
1,000 | |
8 |
Urus |
Do. |
Do. |
-- |
-- |
1,000 |
750 | |
9 |
Mahakali |
Ankisa |
Do. |
-- |
-- |
1,500 |
500 | |
10 |
Shivratra |
Nagaram |
Do. |
-- |
-- |
2,000 |
1,000 | |
11 |
Maullana |
Arda |
Do. |
-- |
-- |
2,500 |
1,000 | |
12 |
Mahakali |
Chintamala |
Do. |
-- |
-- |
600 |
300 | |
13 |
Moharram |
Kistapur |
Do. |
-- |
-- |
500 |
300 | |
14 |
Do. |
Yelgur |
Do. |
-- |
-- |
500 |
200 | |
15 |
Do. |
Dechalli |
Do. |
-- |
-- |
600 |
300 | |
16 |
Do. |
Moyabinpeta |
Do. |
-- |
-- |
800 |
300 |
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