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Fairs & Festivals
Fairs or Melas in Punjabi are synonymous with the joy and gaiety; and
in the countryside where the life follows a hard routine, nothing is more
welcome to the people than the prospect of a festival or a mela. A rural
mela in Punjab has a great significance. It is not just an occasion for
festivity and mass gathering but it is an unbounded expression of the
spirit of the inner freedom, of creative pride, of zest for life, and of
colorful traditions of the people of Punjab.
People come to participate
in fairs from far-off places, trudging dusty distances. Most of the fairs
are held in memory of a saint or a pir, and people from all communities
living in a village participate in it. Men women and children of all ages,
classes and creeds flock in hundreds and enjoy the numerous fascinating
features of the fair; races, wrestling bouts, singing, acrobatics, etc.
They play on folk instruments, such as vanjli and algoza.
A fair is enchantingly picturesque. A bustling market springs up in
which articles of food and products of local handicrafts-toys, glass
bangles, and an assortment of all kinds of articles for domestic use are
on display. There is fun and frolic all round. The gay ones in small
groups sing boli’s and perform folk-dances to the strain of the vanjli and
algoza. The sturdy ones test their strength in wrestling fields. It is a
feast of color and gaiety and fully reflects the joy of the community. The
fairs of the Punjab are linked with its culture and reflect by and large
the various phases of its life.
Distinct Punjabi traits are depicted in
them. They may be divided into the following types
Seasonal fairs
Mythical fairs
Fairs held in
honor of saints
Fairs connected with festivals
Basant Panchami is the most famous of the
seasonal fairs. It heralds the advent of spring. Fields of mustard present
a unique and colorful sight all over rural Punjab, which looks like a
newly wedded damsel resplendent in her gorgeous golden yellow. There is a
spirit of gay abandon in the air and the Punjabi is rightly infected with
the spirit. His heart and soul become one with nature and he expresses his
elevated spirit in song and dance.
The Basant fairIt is held in many villages
of' the Punjab. People put on yellow costumes appropriate to the season.
One huge mass of mustard blossom seems walking down to the fair. Before
Partition the main fair was celebrated in Lahore at the samadi (tomb) of
Hakeekat Rai who, though a mere lad, preferred martyrdom at the hands of
the Mughuls to swerving from his chosen path of duty. Kite-flying was a
popular entertainment of the people on this occasion. Often on the Basant
Panchami day, if there is a good breeze, one could see nothing but
innumerable multi-colored kites in the sky, swishing over in all
directions.
BaisakhiIt is a seasonal festival with a
special accent. It is celebrated all over the State on the first of
Baisakhi. This is the time when harvest is gathered in and the farmer
exults in the fulfillment of his year's hard work. He joins the
merry-making with full gusto and does not mind walking for miles to be
able to do so. Since this fair is also an expression of prosperity,
singing and dancing constitute its most enchanting features. The Punjab's
famous Bhangra and Giddha are inextricably linked with this
festival
Many fairs in the Punjab are held near the tombs and shrines
of pirs. These fairs must have originated in a spirit of devotion to those
saints and sages. The most famous among such fairs are the Chhapar fair,
the Jarag fair, and the Roshni fair of Jagranyan.
Chhapar FairThis fair is held on Anand
Chaudas, the 14th day of the bright half of Bhadon in honor of Gugga Pir.
A big shrine known as 'Gugge di Marhi' has been built in his memory. He
was a Chauhan Rajput and, according to legend, he gently descended into
the bosom of Mother Earth along with his steed, and never returned. He was
believed to possess special power over all kinds of snakes.
On the day
this fair is held, villagers scoop the earth seven times because they
believe that in this way they invoke Gugga Pir to protect them against
snakes. This shrine has a reputation for curing people of snake-bite. It
is strongly believed that if a person is bitten by a snake, all that has
to be done is to take him to the shrine and lay him beside it, he is then
sure to be cured. This shrine was built in 1890. This fair provides
occasion for folk-songs and folk-dances. Young people form themselves into
groups and go about dancing and singing for hours. The fair lasts three
days.
Gugga NaumiGugga Naumi, which is a
festival in honor of Gugga Pir, also falls in Bhadon. The pir's devotees
paint his image on the wall in turmeric, as also paint a snake in black
right in front of it, and then perform the ritual of worship. People also
pour milk and butter milk into the holes of snakes. Sweet sevian is the
special dish of the festival. The Lalbagis who are devout followers of
Gugga Pir, also known as Zahir Pir, erect a long pole covered with flags,
colored cloth, coconuts, etc., and render worship to it as to a God. The
devotees carry the pir's standard from house to house and beg. The
disciple who carries the standard is known as the pir's horse. The
privilege of carrying the standard is much coveted.
Jarag FairThis fair is held in Jarag, a
village in tehsil Pail. It is held in Chet (March-April) in honor of the
goddess Seetla. It is also known as the Baheria fair. Sweet gulgulas
(jaggery cakes fried in oil) are prepared one day earlier and then given
in offering to the goddess and thereafter to the donkey who is her
favorite. After propitiating the goddess, the family members cat the
remaining savory gulgulas with great relish. This festival is observed in
Malwa and Powad but the fair is held only in Jarag. There is a pond where
the devotees of Seetla gather. They scoop the earth and raise a small
hillock, which is accorded the status of the goddess's shrine. Potters
specially bring their donkeys decked in colored blankets.
The Roshni Fair(Fair of the
lights)This fair is held in Jagranvan from the 14th to the 16th
of Phagun in honor of a Muslim Pir, Abdul Kader Jalani. It is held in the
vicinity of his tomb. Although it is a Muslim fair in origin, the Hindus
of the area also flock to the site of this shrine. Even after Partition,
this fair has been held regularly. It is called the 'fair of lights'
because innumerable devotees who come to visit the place light earthen
lamps at the shrine of the pir. The lights are visible from long
distances. It is believed that whatever wish one sincerely makes at the
shrine of this pir is granted. Young people sing bolian and perform
dances, thus adding to the gaiety and glamour of the fair. It is sheer
delight to villagers performing dances and singing songs to the sweet
strains of the flute and the one-stringed instrument called Toomba.
Haider Sheikh at Malerkotla
A big fair
is held for four days every year in Malerkotla at the shrine of Haider
Sheikh. It is largely attended. It is believed that if childless women
visit the shrine of Haider Sheikh and propitiate the pir, their wish for
progeny is granted. Another belief is that if someone overpowered by a
malignant spirit or under the effect of an evil shadow comes here during
these days, he will be cured if he propitiates the pir at the shrine and
offers rots (large sweet cakes) specially cooked.
Dhesian SangOn the 14th of Chet, a fair
is held in Dhesian Sang (Philaur) at the shrine and in honor of Baba
Sang.
Khwaja RoshanAnother fair is held at
the tomb of Khwaja Roshan in Har on every first Thursday after the new
moon.
Mir Shah HusainIn Nakodar a
Hindu-Muslim fair is held at village Kara at the shrine of Mir Shah
Husain, who, according to legend, lived about five hundred years ago.
Baba Jawahar Singh
At Khatkar Kalan
(Nawanshehar) a fair is held on Baisakhi day in memory of Baba Jawahar
Singh.
Shiy Chaudas
Shiy Chaudas, is held at
Paddi Matwali (Nawanshehar) on the 14th of Chet on the bank of the river
Bein.
Nathana
In March, at Nathana (Ferozepur)
a fair is held in honor of a Hindu saint, Kalu. He is said to have dug a
large pond in one scoop and deposited the dug-up earth in a close by heap,
which now forms the object of popular veneration
Muktsar Fair
It is one of the largest
Sikh fairs held in the Punjab. The fair is held in the middle of January
on the Makar Sankranti day. It is one of the great Sikh festivals, and
lasts for three days. On the first day the worshippers bathe in the sacred
tank. On the second day the people go in a procession (mohalla) to the
three holy mounds which lie to the north-west of the town, namely, Rikab
Sahib, Tibbi Sahib, and Mukhwanjana Sahib. The Rikab Sahib, a. mound
formed out of the handfuls of earth taken from the tank by the faithful
and thrown there, commemorates the spot where the Guru's stirrup broke.
The procession goes up the slope to the Tibbi Sahib which, crowned with a
Gurudwara, is the mound where Guru Gobind Singh stood and aimed his arrows
at the imperial forces. The devotees then proceed to the Mukhwanjana Sahib
where the Guru is said to have cleaned his teeth with a tooth-stick.
Prayers are offered here and the devotees then return. This mound has been
built in the same way as the Rikab Sahib. On their return trip people
visit the Tambu Sahib where the Guru's tent was pitched before the fight
started, the Shahid Ganj, which is the samadhi of the forty martyrs, and
the Darbar Sahib, where the Guru held his darbar after the cremation of
the slain. The festival is in commemoration of a battle fought in 1705-06
by Guru Gobind Singh against the pursuing imperial forces, which overtook
him here and cut his followers to pieces. The Guru himself escaped and had
the bodies of his followers disposed of with the usual rites. He declared
that they had all obtained mukti and promised the same blessings to all
his followers, who should thereafter, on the anniversary of that day,
bathe in the Holy Pool which had been filled by rain from heaven in answer
to his prayer for water. On this spot a fine tank was afterwards dug by
Maharaja Ranjlt Singh and called Muktsar (the pool of salvation.
Jor Mela
This mela is held in December
at Sirhind(Fatehgarh Sahib). It is celebrated in the memory of Guru Gobind
Singh's younger sons who were entombed alive here by the mughals. Today it
is an important center of pilgrimage, drawing the devout to pay
homage.
This religious fervour culminates in the exuberant festivities
of the jor mela, when hundreds of thousands of people gather here in
rememberance and devotion. Hymn and recitation of the holy epic are sung
by folk minstrels. The Guru ka Langar caters to the milling, jostling
devotees but there are also rows of stalls offering tasty sweets and
variety of exotic handicrafts, jewellery, traditional weapons and
costumes.
Holi
The most colorful and hilarious of
all the festivals, which are celebrated in, Punjab is Holi, celebrated on
the full moon day of Phagun. Holi is a festival of colors. The revelers
embrace their friends and relatives, and go out in groups, embrace their
near one another with liquid colors and gulal. A big fair known as Hola
Mohala is held at Anandpur on the next day after Holi. People come from
far-off places to join it.
Hola MohallaEach year, spring is
ushered in by the Sikhs with the celebration of a vigorous and colorful
festival at Anandpur Sahib. The festival is slated for the day after Holi
and is called Hola Mohalla.
It was here at Anandpur Sahib that Guru
Gobind Singh, the tenth and last guru, instituted the pahul (baptism of
the Khalsas), and elected the panj pyare (the beloved five), and
militarized his followers into the order of Nihangs (warrior-mendicants)
at this site.
This festival of the Nihangs held at their headquarters Anandpur Sahib
began as a counterpart to Holi. Though it almost did away with the
throwing of colors, nonetheless, it is more colorful.
Martial arts like archery, sword fencing, fancy horse-riding,
tent-pegging, and the deft handling of other contraptions of offence and
defense are displayed by the Nihangs. Spectacular and thrilling acts of
dare-devilry nimbly executed are performed. The festivities close with a
ceremonial procession taken through the township. The langar (community
feast) is open through the day and lasts as long as there are any
takers.
Dressed in along tunic of bright deep blue, an elaborate
turban, sometimes of enormous size, at times banded with strips of bright
yellow, armed with weapons of one’s liking – bows and arrows, spears,
swords and shield, muskets, guns or what have you - the Nihang displays
his skills at this festival of valor, a pageant of the past.
Gurupurabs
The festivals held in honor
of the Sikh Gurus are called Gurupurabs. They are well spread over the
year but there are three important ones. On the full moon of Kartik the
birth anniversary of Guru Nanak is celebrated by the devotees with great
ardor. Two days earlier a non-stop reading of the Adi Granth is started.
At different places religious congregations are held and hymns from the
Granth Sahib are chanted. Large processions and are taken out through the
towns. At night buildings are illuminated. The birth anniversary of Guru
Gobind Singh is also celebrated in a similar manner. The third important
Gurupurab is the one associated with the martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev.
The festivals connected with the lunar days, Ekadashi (eleventh lunar
day), Pooranmashi (full moon), and Masya (new moon) occur every rnonth.
Similarly, Sankranti, when the sun enters the new Zodiac sign, is
celebrated on the first of every month of the Vikrarmi era with great
gusto. It is also an occasion to prepare and eat the nicest of
foods.
In the Punjab, where the Vikrami era is followed, the year
begins with Chet (March-April). On the first of this month the arrival of
the new year is celebrated by the performance of a ritual of taking the
new corn, known as ann nawan karna. Sheafs of new corn are roasted and
then the parched grain is eaten. Everyone must have a bath on the new year
day, and put on new clothes. Delicacies like kheer and halwa are prepared
and eaten.
Baisakhi
It is one of the most popular
festivals of the Punjab, with fairs held at various places. Baisakhi, the
first day of the month of Baisakh (April/May) is New Year’s Day, going by
the Saka calendar. It corresponds to April 13th of the Gregorian calendar.
Essentially it is a North Indian harvest festival, for it is the day when
the reaping of the rabi (winter crop) begins. The jubilation at a
bountiful harvest becomes the reason for celebration.
Through
celebrated all over North India, it is nowhere as colorful as it is in
Punjab, India’s granary. The joy of the energetic Punjabis is manifest in
the strenuous folk dance, the Bhangra. This dance usually enacts the
entire process of agriculture from the tilling of the soil through
harvesting. As the beat of the dholak (drum) changes, the sequences
progress. The dance movements express ploughing, sowing, weeding, reaping
and winnowing. The final sequence shows the farmer celebrating the
harvest.
Though in real life the farmer has to toil hard in order to win grain
from the soil, this dance shows him performing his labors with grace and
ease, a smile to his lips. Women too join the men, both at reaping during
the day, and in the many dances and folk songs at evening. Baisakhi has a
special significance for the Hindus. It is believed that the Ganga
descended to the earth on this auspicious day. The Kumbha is held every
twelve years at Hardwar on this occasion.
For the Sikhs the day has a
deep religious meaning. At Anandpur this day in 1699 AD, the tenth and
last Guru, Gobind Singh, baptized the Sikhs into the Khalsa, meaning the
Elect. This baptism of the sword, called pahul, led to the creating of the
panch pyare, the Beloved Five. The Sikhs became a militant order so as to
meet the challenges of persecution at the hands of the Mughal rulers. The
Khalsa was to adopt the panch kakkas, (the five K’s), Kesh (unshorn hair),
kanga (small boxwood comb in their hair), kaccha (a pair of shorts), kara
(a steel bangle), and a kirpan (a short dagger), which have since become
their distinctive signs. The Guru enthused their valor by calling them
Singh (lion), now a suffix to every Sikh’s name. To commemorate the day of
the initiation of the sword, a large number of Sikhs flock to Harmandir
Sahib (the Golden Temple, Amritsar), their major shrine. They take a dip
in the holy Amrit sarovar (pool of nectar), the lake in the midst of which
the Golden Temple stands. Religious service follows in the form of Akhand
Paath – an end chanting of the holy
On the eleventh day of the bright half of Jeth (May-June) falls Nirjala
Ekadashi, which is better known in the Punjab as Nimani Kasti. Hindus,
especially women, observe fast on this day and smear the body with
powdered sandalwood. This fast is very hard to keep because for the whole
day one has to abstain even from water. Charitably inclined people put up
stalls for free distribution of sweetened and chilled water. The stalls,
known as chhabils, are a common sight on this day
Teeyan
Teeyan, a festival of the rainy
season, is celebrated on the 3rd of the bright fortnight of Sawan
(July-August). The four months from Harh (June-July) to the first half of
Assu (September) are called Chaumasa. During this period the sky generally
remains overcast and the weather shifts between sultriness and rainfall.
Rains bring the longed-for relief to the heat-stricken Punjabis, and the
rhythm of the little and big drops of rain instills in them the enthusiasm
which must seek expression in fun and frolic. A newly-married girl looks
forward to the rainy days when a brother or some other male relative from
the parental home may come to escort her to her father's place. This
reversal from bride to being just a daughter again is such a liberating
and thrilling experience that it cannot be put into words. One day before
the Teeyan, girls apply henna to their hands and feet, and on the day of
the festival they put on their best clothes and go out to the fair. The
fair resounds with the songs of love and the rhythm of dance. The songs
are known as Teeyan songs. The Giddha dance has become a regular and most
enchanting feature of this festival. At home women make kheer, a dish
specially associated with Sawan.
Rakhi
In Bhadon, on the day of the full
moon, the Rakhi festival is celebrated. On this day sisters tie the
multicolored thread on the right wrist of their brothers. So long as a
sister has not tied the rakhi to her brother, she is not supposed to eat
anything. After she has done so she offers some sweets to her brother and
he in return gives her some gift or money. Rakhi is meant to remind the
brother of his promise to protect his sister whenever she needs this
protection. The true origin of this festival is, however, lost in
antiquity.
Dussehra
The Dussehra festival, as in
most other parts of India, is celebrated in a big way. This festival marks
the victory of good over evil. Big tall effigies of Ravana, Kumbhkarna and
Meghnath are burnt at a large number of places. During the Nauratas Ram
Lila is organized at innumerable places in the State. This song and drama
has, from year to year, contributed largely to the continuance of the
tradition of folk-drama in India
Karva Chauth
In Kartik, on the fourth
lunar day falls Karva Chauth. On this day married women observe a fast and
pray for the long life of their husbands. Sometimes even unmarried girls
observe this fast and pray for their husbands-to-be. In a way this is the
mother-in-law's day too, because it is customary on this day for the
daughter-in-law to present her offerings-(Baya) in the form of money and
eatables.
Devuthan
On the eleventh lunar day in
this month falls the festival of Devuthan (waking up the deities). Metal
plates are beaten in order to awaken the deities who are supposed to go to
sleep between the summer harvest and the first ploughing after the start
of the autumnal rains.
Diwali
Earthen lamps or candles are
lighted over buildings all over the State. People celebrate the festival
with great gusto. Houses are white-washed days ahead of it, new clothes
are purchased and sweets of all kinds are prepared. People worship Goddess
Lakshmi with an offering of sweets and silver coins. Thereafter they
distribute sweets among friends and relatives. It is believed that on this
night Goddess Lakshmi in the company of Vidmata (goddess of fate) takes a
round of every house and wherever she takes a fancy, she bestows immense
prosperity.
In the Golden Temple of Amritsar, Diwali is celebrated with great
eclat. Earthen lamps are lighted all round the holy tank and their
undulating reflections in the water look extremely fascinating. Sikhs
started celebrating Diwali at Amritsar from the time of their Sixth
Master, Guru Hargobind. When he rescued fifty-two rajas from imperial
detention in the fort of Gwalior and reached Amritsar, the residents there
welcomed him by illuminating the whole-city.
Lohri
Lohri, which comes on the last day
of Poh (December-January), is another extremely popular festival. A few
days before it arrives youngsters get together in groups and go round
their localities singing folk-songs connected with Lohri and collecting
fuel and money for the bonfire. This is a special day for making offerings
to fire. When fire is lit up in the evening, orthodox men and women go
round it, pour offerings into it, and bow before it in reverence. The
first Lohri for a new bride, or a new-born babe, is enthusiastically
celebrated, and sweets are distributed.
One of the stories behind the
celebration of this festival goes like this;
Somewhere between Gujaranwala and Sialkot in Pakistan now, there was a
thick forest called Rakh. There used to live a Muslim Dacoit named Dulla
Bhatti, the Robinhood of Punjab. He was brave, generous and provided
maximum help to everyone in distress. During the reign of Jahangir, a
middle class Hindu who was a jealous and a cunning man spread a rumor that
his niece was very beautiful and would do credit to muslim harem. On
hearing this, the mughal officers wanted to carry her off forcibely. The
girls father was extreamly worried and sought the protection of Dulla
Bhatti. Dulla at once got her married to a young Hindu boy at a simple
ceremony in the forest.
He lit the sacred fire in keeping with the Hindu custom. Since there
was no priest to chant the holy mantras, he broke into a hiliarious song
composed extepore to add chear to the occasion. This song is sung even
today on the occasion.
The song goes ;
Sunder mundriye Ho
Tera kaun bachera
Ho
Dhulla bhatti wala Ho
Dulle dhi vaiahi Ho
Ser Shakar Pai
Ho
Kudi de boje pai Ho
Kudi da lal pataka Ho
Kudi da salu pata
Ho
Salu kaun samete Ho
Chacha gal dese Ho
Chache churi kuti
Ho
Jimindara luti Ho
Jimindara sado Ho
Gin gin paule lao
Ho
Ik paula reh gaya
Sepai fadh kei lai gaya
Sepai ne mari
it
Maghi
Next day after Lohri comes Maghi,
also called Makar Yonkranti (entry of the sun in the sign or Capricorn).
It is very popular with the punjabis. On this day fairs are held at many
places. The people go out for a holy dip and give away a lot of charity.
The special dish of the day is kheer cooked in sugarcane juice.
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