The winter season has brought a festive aroma to Dinajpur town, where rows of makeshift stalls selling traditional pitha. The busy intersections has now turned into lively evening food hubs, helping many small traders rebuild their livelihoods.
From Nimtala Mandir Mor to several other parts of the town, the smell of bhapa pitha, chitoi, patishapta and teler pitha fills the cold Poush (Bengali month) air. As dusk falls, smoke rises gently from low-burning stoves, drawing crowds who stop to enjoy hot pitha in the biting winter chill.
Nimtala Mandir Mor has long been known as a seasonal centre for pitha trading. Every winter, the area comes alive with what locals describe as an informal pitha festival, where sellers prepare fresh items on the spot and customers queue patiently until late at night.
Many families in the town now depend on these stalls, as busy urban life leaves little time for making pitha at home. As a result, demand remains strong throughout the season, with people preferring to buy freshly prepared pitha on their way home.
For several vendors, the seasonal trade has proved life-changing. Women, in particular, have found opportunities for self-employment, contributing directly to household incomes through pitha making and sales.
Sahera Begum, 40, who runs a stall with her brother Mominul Haque, said winter pitha sales usually remain steady, although extreme cold over the past few days has slightly reduced customer turnout. Even so, she said income from pitha supports both their families comfortably during the season.
Customers, however, say colder weather has changed how they consume pitha rather than reducing demand. Rayhan, a young buyer, said he now prefers taking pitha home to enjoy with family instead of eating at the roadside stalls.
Nimtala Mor currently hosts at least seven pitha stalls, run by sellers including Mariam Begum, Sharifa Begum and Anjali Rani. Most operate from evening until deep into the night.
Abdul Halim, 55, said the trade offered him a second chance. He previously worked as a rickshaw van puller at Nimtala, which was once the town’s main van stand. With the decline of van transport, he lost his income and remained unemployed for some time before turning to pitha sales. He said daily sales are now satisfactory and have brought stability back to his life.
Sahib Ali, who started selling pitha three years ago after working as a hotel labourer, said the business has steadily improved his family’s condition. With help from his wife Julekha Begum, he has managed to buy land, build a house, lease farmland and arrange his daughter’s marriage.
Another seller, Hannan, said he has been selling pitha in the area for seven to eight years. He arrives before evening and continues selling until late night, with daily sales ranging from Tk8,000 to Tk10,000, leaving what he described as a reasonable profit.
Bhapa, chitoi and teler pitha draws the most customers. Each bhapa or chitoi pitha sells for Tk10, often served with free mustard paste or chilli. Bhapa pitha is typically enjoyed with date molasses or coconut.
The seasonal trade is not limited to Nimtala alone. Across Dinajpur town, including Banjaram Bridge, Thana Mor, Bottoli, Kanchan Bridge Mor, Pulhat, Fulbari Bus Stand, Shershah Bridge and Maharaja Mor, similar stalls line the streets.
Many have now adopted pitha selling as a seasonal profession, attracted by low investment costs and comparatively good returns. In the cold evenings, people of all ages gather at roadside stalls, standing or sitting briefly to enjoy a warm snack.
As temperatures drop sharply after sunset, the sight of steaming pitha under the open sky has become a defining image of winter in Dinajpur, blending tradition, taste and survival into a thriving seasonal economy.
