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FESTIVALS AND FAIRS
Eternal India
encyclopedia
In and around Bikaner lives the community of Sidh, famous for
their yogic feats. One of their turns is the fire dance, which is performed
on special occasions: drums and pipes play the music while a group of
men dance merrily, jumping in and out of the flames.
The most popular community dances of Rajasthan are the
ghumar and ginda, danced usually a fortnight before
Holi
(end of
February or early March).
MADHYA PRADESH
Bhagoria
is celebrated by the tribals of the western regions on
the occasion of Holi. The tribals of southern Madhya Pradesh
celebrate Dussehra with unity and faith.
Gangaur,
the spring festival held in
Chaitra
(March-April) in
honour of Gauri, the Goddess of abundance .
Teej
festival held in Asarh (June-July) in honour of Devi (Par-
vati).
UTTAR PRADESH
Apart from the festivals celebrated all over India, here are the
fairs (melas) peculiar to the region.
Kumaon Hills:
Uttarayan
is a religious fair held in January at
Bageshwar, 37 miles from Almora. Devotees come in thousands to
have a dip in the Sarayu River. Fasting and chanting at the temple
of Shiva characterise the occasion. Nanda Devi is the most impor-
tant and colourful of the fairs in the Kumaon region (August -
September) held in Almora, Ranikhet and Naini Tal, but its best
observances take place in Almora in honour of the "Patron deity"
Nanda Devi, the goddess identified with Parvati, Shiva's consort.
Women in colourful costumes and glittering silver ornaments, men
and children singing and dancing to the accompaniment of the local
hurka (drum) present a rare spectacle of gaiety.
Doon Valley:
Tapkeshwar
Fair. There is a temple 3 miles
from Dehra Dun in the Garhi Village known as Tapkeshwar. Every
year on the occasion of Shivaratri a colossal fair is held here. Tens
of thousands of people in their colourful costumes throng the village
streets.
Jhanda Mela
is perhaps the biggest and the best-celebrated
fair in the Doon Valley. To commemorate Guru Ram Raj, a flag is
hoisted on a very long flag-staff every year on the 5th day after Holi
(early March) in the Jhanda Muhulla area. The fair lasts about 10 days.
Colourfully dressed people from neighbouring districts pour in, par-
ticularly from the Punj ab.
Agra Region
: Mathura and Gwalior are known for their local
festivals. In March/April, at Brindavan, about six miles from
Mathura, glittering chariots carry the image of Krishna and his
consort through the streets for ten days. Sometime in April a com-
memorative Urs is held at Gwalior at the tomb of that great
musician Tansen. A fair is held in Mathura in October/November.
Dussehra
is celebrated with special pomp at Agra and Gwalior in
October and Gwalior holds an annual mela (fair) from 20th Decem-
ber to mid-January. The
Shivpuri
mela is held in February. On
Chabina (remembrance) day the ex-Maharajah of Gwalior goes in
procession to pay homage to his ancestors. (August).
Mathura is closely associated with the Krishna cult. Naturally
enough, the most popular dances of this region are the
Ras Lila
series
which depict his adolescence and early manhood, his frolics with the
gopis (milkmaids) and his passionate love for Radha. At Kailash, 8
miles from Agra, there is an autumn fair, in August-September. The
colourful
Holi
festival (February-March) is best seen at Barasana, 20
miles from Mathura.
BIHAR
Sonepur cattle fair
is held at the time of Kartik Poornima. In the
month long fair cows and oxen participate coloured in bright shades of
yellow, red and purple. Their horns are gilded and they are decorated.
WEST
GUJARAT
The usual Hindu festivals are observed in this region; Navratri,
held in Ahmedabad, in honour of the Goddess Ambaji (September/
October), lasts nine days and on consecutive evenings women in
colourful costumes perform the garba dance in the streets.
An outstandingly colourful event is the 3-day fair held at Tarnetar
75 km from the nearest airport at Rajkot. A lunar festival during August
or September, the fair brings together the exuberant tribal folk from all
over the region for dancing, trading and a religious pilgrimage.
DAMAN & DIU
Holi
is celebrated with the burning fire of
Holika,
the previous
evening. The following day leads to the colourful celebration with
smearing of colours over themselves and others around, sweets are
shared and
poojas
are attended to.
Janmashtami
: The birthday of Lord Krishna is celebrated with
enthusiasm with fairs in a festive mood. Also celebrated are
Makar Sankranti
in January and
Navratri
in September/October.
MAHARASHTRA
Bombay
: Exact dates follow the lunar calendar. February/March:
Mahashivaratri
- Hindu devotees worship at temples dedicated to
Shiva. February/March :
Holi,
a spring festival, the time for merry-
making. August/September :
Gokulashtami,
the birthday of Lord
Krishna. July/August:
Coconut Day
marks the end of the monsoon;
mass bathing in the sea; Brahmins change the sacred thread they wear
around their neck. August/September:
Ganesh Chaturthi,
the most
spectacular of this region's festivals. Clay images of the elephant god
are brought to Chowpatty Beach and immersed amid much rejoicing.
October :
Dussehra,
a ten-day festival; October/November
:Diwali,
the
festival of lights. Christian and Muslim festivals are also celebrated in
this cosmopolitan community.
DADRA & NAGAR HAVELI
The Varli and Kokna tribes celebrate Diwali in the name of
Barash.
Akha Trij
is celebrated by Kokna tribes where ladies are the main
participants.
Diwaso
is celebrated by Dhobia and Vaiji tribes. Dhobias
celebrate
Raksha Bandhan.
Other festivals among Varli and Koli
tribes are
Bhawada, Kali puja
after harvesting crops and
Gram Devi
before harvesting crops.
GOA
A religious feast is often a fine reason for singing and dancing and
holding village fairs. The Goans love music and you ought to hear a
mando - not quite waltz and not quite Portuguese fado but with
strains of both. Some of the Christian fetes are the
Reis Magos