Himachal Pradesh’s Fairs and Festivals

Himachal Pradesh is the land of fairs and festivals. The celebration of fairs and festivals reflect people’s diversity of culture, history, religious beliefs, social customs, varied moods, love of music and dance. Since Himachal Pradesh is the land of gods and goddesses, therefore people are god fearing and their festivals have a religious significance. These people are great believers in the power and blessings of their local deities. Their fairs and festivals are the main source of attraction and entertainment for the villagers. They bring their local deities to the fairs to celebrate various occasions. These festivals and celebrations play a great part in the life of the hard working people of the Pradesh. They dance, enjoy wearing colourful dresses and ornaments. These fairs and festivals have educational, cultural, economic and social importance as well. Some of the important and more popular local fairs and festivals are discussed briefly.

Nalwar Fair

Nalwar (a cattle fair) is held on the 4th of Chaitra every year and continues upto the 11th of the month. This is a fair in which cattle are bought and sold. The fair was started during the reign of Raja Vijay Chand of Bilaspur. The venue of this fair in Bilaspur district is Luhnu ground. In local dialect the ceremony is called as the Khunda-Garna. The fair starts at Ropar in Punjab from where traders move with their cattle towards the hill areas. The Nalwar fair is held at Jagatkhana, Bilaspur, Sundarnagar, Bhangrotu, Barchhawar in Sarkaghat and then in the Kangra district. In the early days when the people of these area still led an unsettled life, they came down once a year to the spacious Sandhu field (now submerged in the Gobindsagar) to sell or barter their cattle, agricultural and other produce and took back with them a few necessities of life.

Markanday Fair

This fair is celebrated at Makri village in Bilaspur district for three days, during the Baisakh month every year. A temple with the statute of Rishi Markanday is located here. According to a legend, Markanday Rishi was born here and it is said that childless people who wish for children have their wish granted by taking a dip in the holy waters of this shrine. Naina Devi Fair- Naina Devi’s shrine is located in Bilaspur district on a hill and it is near Anandpur Sahib. The old temple of Naina Devi exists here since ages. Many legends are associated as well as famous with this temple. One such legend is according to mythology, Raja Daksh, out of pride did not invite his son-in-law, Lord Shiva to a yajna. His daughter was offended by this insult and plunged into the sacrificial fire. When Shiva came to know of this incident he rushed to the spot only to find her half-burnt. In desperation, Shiva carried her half-burnt body on his shoulder and roamed like a mad man. Vishnu dismembered her body with his disc. Her charred mortal remains dropped one by one different places and in the process her eyes fell on this summit where the gods constructed a temple instantaneously. Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru, is also stated to have offered prayers at this temple.