Ambubachi Fair , Assam
This is annual Hindu mela held at
Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati, Assam.
This yearly mela is celebrated during the
monsoon season that happens to fall
during the Assamese month Ahaar,
around the middle of June when sun
transit to the zodiac of Mithuna, when the
Brahmaputra river is in spate. It is the
celebration of the yearly menstruation
course of goddess Kamakhya. It is
believed that the presiding goddess of
the temple, Devi Kamakhya, the Mother
Shakti, goes through her annual cycle of
menstruation during this time stretch. It is
also believed that during the monsoon
rains, the creative and nurturing power of
the 'menses' of Mother Earth becomes
accessible to devotees at this site during
the mela. There is no idol of the presiding
deity but she is worshipped in the form of
a yoni-like stone instead over which a
natural spring flows.
Bansehwar Fair, Rajasthan
Baneshwar fair is an annual tribal fair held in Dungarpur
district in Rajasthan state of India. The fair is held in the
month of January or February at Baneshwar, near the
confluence of the Som and Mahi rivers. This fair is a major
fair in tribal culture and has been described as "the Kumbh
mela for the tribals".Baneshwar fair in its present form is
actually one of two fairs: one which used to be held in of
Baneshwar Mahadev (Lord Shiva) and another fair, which
started after the construction of the Vishnu Temple by
Jankunwari, daughter-in-law of Mavji, a highly revered
saint considered to be an incarnation of Lord Vishnu.
Two disciples of Mavji named Aje and Vaje built the
Lakshmi- Narain Temple near the confluence of rivers Som
and Mahi. The 'pran-pratishtha' ceremony of the idols was
performed on Magh Shukla Ekadashi and since then, the
fair is held on this day. The large congregation that gathers
here at the time of the fair pays homage to all the deities
with equal reverence.
On Magh Shukla Ekadashi, the priest - called the
Mathadhish, arrives at the fair site from Sabla, in a huge
procession. A 16-cm silver image of Mavji on horseback is
also brought here. The river water supposedly becomes
holier when the Mathadhish takes a bath. Hence, people
bathe along with him in the river. The Bhils consign the
ashes of their dead at the confluence of the rivers.
The Baneshwar fair is predominantly a tribal fair with more
than half of the congregation consisting of Bhils. They
revere Baneshwar Mahadev as well as Mavji. The majority
of the gathering is from the Districts of Dungarpur, Udaipur
and Banswara.
Chandrabhaga Fair ,Rajasthan
Chandrabhaga Fair is held every year in Rajasthan in the
city of Jhalarapatan in the month between October and
November. The fair is dedicated to river Chandrabhaga
and is considered holy by the people in Rajasthan. On the
full moon day in the month of Kartik or Kartik Purnima,
thousands of devotees take a holy dip in this
river.Chandrabhaga fair shows a living tradition of
Rajasthan.
Folk music mesmerizes everyone and colorful art & crafts
ae best to shop in the fair. A large cattle fair is also held on
the last day of Kartik which also attracts thousands of
pilgrims from all over India.
The cattle fair which comes together with religious aspects
along with commerce is held here and livestock like
buffaloes, cows, camels, horses, and bullock are brought
in this place.
Traders from far areas like Maharasthra and Madhya
Pradesh come here and take part in the trading of these
animals.
The fair also attracts tourists in Jhalawar who get an
opportunity to interact with the locals and familiarize
themselves with their rituals and customs.
Various competitions in the Chandrabhaga Fair also attract
tourists and entertain them. Competitions like Matka Race,
Tug of War, Turban Tying, Rangoli Making, Cattle
competitions, Moustache Competition are best for fun.
Gangasagar Fair, West Bengal.
Gangasagar is a village and a gram panchayat within the
jurisdiction of the Sagar police station in the Sagar CD
block in the Kakdwip subdivision of the South 24 Parganas
district in the Indian state of West Bengal.
A holy man, Kardam Muni, made a pact with Vishnu that he
would undergo the rigours of marital life, on the condition
that Vishnu would incarnate as his son. In due time Kapil
Muni was born as an incarnation of Vishnu and became a
great saint. Kapil Muni's ashram was located in the
Gangasagar. One day King Sagar's sacrificial horse
disappeared; it had been stolen by Indra.
The king sent his 60,000 sons to find it, and they found it next
to Kapil Muni's ashram, where Indra had hidden it.
Mistaking Kapil Muni for the thief, the sons accused Kapil
Muni, who in his wrath at the false accusation burned the
sons to ash and sent their souls to Hell. Later having
compassion for the King Sagar's sons, Kapil Muni acceded
to the prayers of King Sagar's descendants, agreeing to
the restoration of the sons, if Parvati in the form of the river
goddess Ganga would descend to Earth to perform the
Last Ritual
Through deep meditation, King Bhagiratha induced Shiva to
order Ganga down from heaven and the 60,000 sons were
freed and ascended to Heaven, but the river Ganges
stayed on the Earth. The date of the descent of Ganga
was the date, as is at present the 15th Day of January of
the Gregorian Calendar which coincides with that of Makar
Sankranti
Kumbha Mela
Kumbha Mela is a major pilgrimage and festival in
Hinduism. It is celebrated in a cycle of approximately 12
years, to celebrate every revolution Brihaspati (Jupiter)
completes, at four river-bank pilgrimage sites: the
Allahabad (Prayagraj) (Ganges-Yamuna-Sarasvati rivers
confluence), Haridwar (Ganges), Nashik (Godavari), and
Ujjain (Shipra). The festival is marked by a ritual dip in the
waters, but it is also a celebration of community commerce
with numerous fairs, education, religious discourses by
saints, mass feedings of monks or the poor, and
entertainment spectacle. The seekers believe that bathing
in these rivers is a means to prāyaścitta (atonement,
penance) for past mistakes, and that it cleanses them of
their sins.
The festival is traditionally credited to the 8th-century
Hindu philosopher and saint Adi Shankara, as a part of his
efforts to start major Hindu gatherings for philosophical
discussions and debates along with Hindu monasteries
across the Indian subcontinent. However, there is no
historical literary evidence of these mass pilgrimages
called "Kumbha Mela" prior to the 19th century. There is
ample evidence in historical manuscripts and inscriptions
of an annual Magha Mela in Hinduism – with periodic
larger gatherings after 6 or 12 years – where pilgrims
gathered in massive numbers and where one of the rituals
included a sacred dip in a river or holy tank.
Pushkar Fair ,Rajasthan
Pushkar is a city in the Ajmer district in the Indian state
of Rajasthan. It is situated about 10 km (6.2 mi)
northwest of Ajmer and about 150 kilometres (93 mi)
southwest of Jaipur. It is a pilgrimage site for Hindus
and Sikhs. Pushkar has many temples. Most of the
temples and ghats in Pushkar are from the 18th
century and later, because many temples were
destroyed during Muslim conquests in the area.
Subsequently, the destroyed temples were rebuilt. The
most famous among Pushkar temples is the red spired
Brahma Temple built by Gurjar Samrat Pushkar, who
is father of Vedmata Gayatri, who was a chechi kanya
married to Lord Brahma. It is considered a sacred city
by the Hindus particularly in Shaktism, and meat and
eggs consumption are forbidden in the city. Pushkar is
located on the shore of Pushkar Lake, which has
many ghats where pilgrims bathe. Pushkar is also
significant for its Gurdwaras for Guru Nanak and Guru
Gobind Singh. One of the bathing ghats is called
Gobind ghat built by the Sikhs in the memory of Guru
Gobind Singh.
Pushkar is famous for its annual fair (Pushkar Camel
Fair) featuring a trading fete of cattle, horses and
camels. It is held over seven days in autumn marking
Kartika Purnima according to the Hindu calendar
(Kartik (month), October or November).
Sonepur Cattle Fair , Bihar
Sonepur Cattle Fair is held on Kartik Poornimaover the months of
November and December in Sonepur, Bihar, on the confluence of river
Ganges(Gandak). It is also known as Harihar Kshetra Mela and it
attracts visitors from all over Asia. To date, it is the biggest cattle fair in
Asia and usually lasts from between fifteen days to one month in
duration. It was historically started by the Suryawanshi Bais Kings of
saran. The Sonepur Cattle Fair used to attract traders from places as
far away as Central Asia. In 2018, the Fair started on the 21st of
November and continued until the 22nd of December.
Originally, the venue of the fair was Hajipur and only the performance
of the puja used to take place at the Harihar Nath temple of Sonpur.
However, under the rule of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, the venue
of the fair got shifted to Sonpur. The temple of Harihar Nath is believed
to have been originally built by Lord Rama, on his way to the court of
King Janak to win the hand of Mata Sita. It is further said that Raja Man
Singh later got the temple repaired. The Harihar Nath temple, as it
stands today, was built by Raja Ram Narain, an influential person
during the late Mughal period.
Gajendhra Moksha legendnto an elephant and a crocodile respectively
by the curse of great sages Agasthya and Dewala muni. One day the
elephant's leg was caught by the crocodile. It is said that the location
was in Nepal. It is said that both of them fought hard for many years
with their herds and while fighting, they came to the place near this
temple. But ultimately the King Elephant weakened and took the lotus
flower from river in its trunk and prayed to the supreme god Vishnu
(Hari) to save him. Vishnu heard his prayer and cut down the crocodile
with his Chakra. But the touch of the chakra released Huhu from the
curse. Vishnu also released Indrayamuna from his curse and took him
to his abode Vaikuntha.
Since Sonpur is situated at the convergence of the sacred rivers
Ganges and Gandak, the Hindus regard it as a holy site. One of the
purposes of the people visiting the Sonpur Cattle Fair, apart from the
fair, is to take a holy dip at the convergence and pay respects at the
Hariharnath Temple.
Nauchandi fair , Uttar Pradesh
The Nauchandi Mela is an annual fair held at
Nauchandi Ground in Meerut. The fair stretches
for about a month and is organized by the
Municipal Corporation of Meerut. It generally
starts from the second Sunday after Holi. The
main exhibits are the artistic and religious rituals
followed in rustic Uttar Pradesh. The fair witness
more than 50,000 visitors every year. The Indian
Railways' Nauchandi Express train is named after
this fair from Meerut to the state capital Lucknow .
The fair has a prominent history dating back
several hundreds of years. It started in the year
1672 AD as a one-day cattle trading fair. The fair
has been held every year, excluding 1858, the
year after 1857 revolt, which started from Meerut.
Since then cattle trading has been replaced by a
number of other activities.
Surajkund Craft Mela , Haryana
Surajkund is an ancient reservoir of the 10th century
located on Southern Delhi Ridge of Aravalli range in
Faridabad city of Haryana state about 8 km (5 mi) from
South Delhi. Surajkund (literal meaning is 'Lake of the
Sun') is an artificial Kund ('Kund' means "lake" or reservoir)
built in the backdrop of the Aravalli hills with an
amphitheatre shaped embankment constructed in
semicircular form. It is said to have been built by the king
Surajpal of the Tomara dynasty in the 10th century.
Tomar, a younger son of Anangpal Tomar - the ruler of
Delhi, was a sun worshipper and he had therefore built a
Sun temple on its western bank. Surajkund is known for its
annual fair "Surajkund International Craft Mela", 2015
edition of this fair was visited by 1.2 million visitors
including 160,000 foreigners with more than 20 countries
participating in it.
There are several dozen 43 paleolithic sites (100,000 BC),
with rock art and microlithic stone tools, scattered surround
the Surajkund from Mangar Bani in the west to
Tuglaqabad in the northeast.
It is an important biodiversity area within the Northern
Aravalli leopard wildlife corridor stretching from Sariska
Tiger Reserve to Delhi. Historical place around sanctuary
are Badkhal Lake (6 km northeast), Anangpur Dam (16 km
north), Damdama Lake, Tughlaqabad Fort and Adilabad
ruins (both in Delhi), Chhatarpur Temple (in Delhi).It is
contiguous to the seasonal waterfalls in Pali-Dhuaj-Kot
villages of Faridabad, the sacred Mangar Bani and the
Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary. There are several dozen
lakes formed in the abandoned open pit mines in and
around the area. Surajkund falls inside the leopard habitat.
Thrissur Pooram ,Kerala
The Thrissur Pooram is an annual temple festival held in
Thrissur, Kerala, India. It is held at the Vadakkunnathan
(Shiva) Temple in Thrissur every year on the Pooram day
the day when the moon rises with the Pooram star in the
Malayalam Calendar month of Medam. It is the largest and
most famous of all poorams in India.
Thrissur Pooram as the brainchild of Rama Varma
Kunhjippilla Thampuran, or Rama Varma IX, famously
known as Sakthan Thampuran, the Maharaja of Cochin
(1790–1805). Before the start of Thrissur Pooram, the
largest temple festival in Kerala was the one-day festival
held at Aarattupuzha known as Arattupuzha Pooram.
Temples in and around the city of Thrissur were regular
participants. In the year 1798 because of incessant rains,
the temples with from Thrissur were late for the Arattupuzha
Pooram and were denied access to the Pooram procession.
Feeling embarrassed and angered by the denial, the
temple[clarification needed] authorities raised the issue with
Sakthan Thampuran.
This made him take the decision to unify the 10 temples
situated around Vadakkunnathan Temple and organized the
celebration of Thrissur Pooram as a mass festival. He
invited temples with their deities to the city of Thrissur to pay
obeisance to Lord Vadakkunnathan (Lord Siva), the
presiding deity of the Vadakkunnathan Temple. Something
unique about this festival is that everything used in the
festival is made fresh every year from scratch. There are
people who are given the duty to craft the umbrellas and the
nettipattam.
Sammakka Saralamma Jatara,Telangana
Sammakka Saralamma Jatara is a festival to honour the
Hindu Tribal goddesses, celebrated in the state of
Telangana, India. This Jatara is known for witnessing one of
the largest people gatherings in the world. People offer
Bangaram (jaggery) :The Jatara begins at Medaram in
Tadvai Mandala in Mulugu district. The rituals related to the
Goddesses are entirely conducted by the Koya Tribe
priests, in accordance with Koya customs and traditions.
Medaram is a remote place in the Eturnagaram Wildlife
Sanctuary, a part of Dandakaranya, the largest surviving
forest belt in the Deccan.
Once declared a national festival, the jatara can be
considered for 'intangible cultural heritage of humanity' tag
of UNESCO. Jatara celebrated during the time the
goddesses (Sammakka and Saralamma) of the tribals are
believed to visit them. It is believed that after Kumbha Mela,
the Sammakka Saralamma Jatara attracts the largest
number of devotees in the country.
Madhavpur Mela , Gujarat
Madhavpur (Ghed) is a small but culturally significant village
in state of Gujarat, India. It lies on the seashore, close to
Porbandar.
According to folklore, Krishna married Rukmini at
Madhavpur after kidnapping her. This event is memorialised
with a temple dedicated to lord Madhavrai and by an annual
fair held in the village.
Madhavpur is the site of a 15th-century temple of
Madhavraiji who is a form of Lord Krishna. The original
temple has been badly damaged by attacks by Muslim
invaders, however a ruined structure is still present and
gives idea of original undamaged temple. A newly
constructed temple is used for worship now adjacent to the
old one.
Every year, for five days from day of Ram Navmi, a cultural
fair is organized mainly on the background of religious belief
of Krishna marrying Rukmini. A colorful chariot is decorated
and form of Krishna is placed in the chariot and a
procession proceeds through the village as a part of
celebrating the event of Krishna's marriage. Village people
put colors on each other as part of a celebration that also
involves joyful dancing.
