Did you know the bananas which you offer in Chhath Puja across India come from Assam's Darangiri

The banana or scientifically called Musa acuminate is considered to be the 5th most traded agricultural product in the world and has one of its biggest retail hubs in India's Assam.

In Goalpara district of Assam's Darangiri lies Asia's largest banana market which is located near NH37 of Assam and is run by the Daranggiri Anchalik Unnayan Samiti. 

Notaby with the onslaught of the festive season, Darangiri is typically flooded with bananas in the months of September and October which is considered to be a peak season.

As per local traders with around 50 truckloads of bananas being sold from growers to sellers, there are nearly 20,000 people involved in the business.

With Darangiri's monthly turnover of Rs 4 crore, not only across India, but these bananas are also exported to Bhutan, Nepal and also Bangladesh while in India buyers come from Bihar, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh.

Speaking to India Today NE, one of the traders said, "This market is not from today, it has been here from ages before we were born".

"Earlier on both sides of the NH37 banana used to flood the entire area of 1 kilometre, however, later we acquired this land and turned it into a market for bananas", he added.

Further, the trader stated that the Chaat Puja and Diwali days its likes a festival for both the buyers and sellers which happens only once every year, however, the normal market continues every Monday and Thursday.

These bananas are been sold by farmers from Goalpara district, Kamrup and Meghalaya which is governed by the Daranggiri Anchalik Unnayan Samiti.

Notably in order to self-sustain and procure livelihood, youths from Goalpara district have taken up this business very seriously and contributed to the market on a regular basis.

It is to be mentioned here that after mango the second-most sought-after fruit crop in India is the banana.