Festivals of Sangrur District serve as index to the cultural, social and domestic life of the people. Many among them are based on legends and aim at propitiating deities and persons believed to be blessed with supernatural powers, and invoking them for the grant of desires and for warding off troubles and curing aliments. Festivals of Sangrur District also provide an atmosphere of devotion and enjoyment. Some festivals mark the seasonal changes and some are local in character and are associated with some place or saint. The fairs and festivals of Sangrur District attract large number of people from all parts of the state.
Some religious festivals are celebrated with great enthusiasm in the district. Gurpurbs are the largest religious festivals of the Sikhs which are celebrated with great devotion here. Huge celebrations are held on the birth anniversaries of Guru Nanak and Guru Gobind Singh and on the martyrdom days of Guru Arjan Dev and Guru Tegh Bahadur. Religious festivals like Shivaratri, Holi, Janmashtami, Dussehra, Diwali, Ramnavami, etc. The seasonal festivals of Lohri and Baisakhi are also celebrated with great fanfare and enthusiasm.
Janmashtami of Sangrur deserves special mention. Virtually, the whole population of Sangrur, belonging to different religions and castes, participates in its celebrations. Dussehra is celebrated almost in all towns of the district with great pump and show. In Sangrur District, Muharram, Ramzan, Id Ul Fitr and Id Ul Zuha are also celebrated. Mahavir Jayanti is celebrated by taking out a procession of pictures of Lord Mahavira.
Besides the above fairs and festivals, there are certain local fairs which are celebrated by the people in the district. To commemorate martyrdom of sixty-six Namdharis, `Kukas Martyrdom Day` or `Kuka Fair` is held at Malerkotla on January 17th and 18th every year. Vasant Panchami fair is held at Malerkotla at the Samadhi of Baba Roda. Another local religious fair `Mela Hazrat Sheikh Sadr-ud-Din` is also hold at Malerkotla in the memory of Sheikh Sadr-un-Din who founded Malerkotla state during the time of Bahlol Lodi. The festival of Nirjala Ekadashi is also celebrated with much enthusiasm. It is celebrated at the Samadhi of Bawa Atma Ram.
The `Gugga Mari` fair attracts a large number of people. It is held in the month of August-September for a period of four days. A big fair known as `Mela Gurudwara Bhai Mani Singh` is held at Longowal in the month of November-December for three continuous days to commemorate the martyrdom of Bhai Mani Singh. Wrestling and other games are the characteristic features of this fair. Another fair known as `Mela Pir Banoi` is held in the month of March-April for a period of three days. Further, Udham Singh Memorial Tournament is held for a period of four days, from 23 January to 26 January at Sunam.
In Barnala Tehsil, a national fair known as `Shaheedi Dihara Sardar Sewa Singh` is celebrated in between January and February for three days. Recital of Guru Granth Sahib, poetic symposium, lectures on the life of Sardar Sewa Singh and competitions in wrestling, horse riding, and singing are the special features of this fair. People from adjacent districts come in large number from distant places. In the predominantly agricultural district of Sangrur, cattle shows and fairs are not uncommon. Big cattle fairs are held at every part of the district.
