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Sair Fair at Kangra Sair fair is the chief festival of Kangra that is celebrated annually on the first day of Asuj. On that day early in the morning the barber goes about with a basket in his hands. A Galgal (fruit) is placed in it and as he goes about he announces the arrival of the auspicious day. Men, women and children bow to that fruit which is the emblem of the fruits of the harvest about to be reaped. It also marks the happy termination of the rains. All the members of the family unite on that day. The women clad in their best attire cook delicious foods. This day is considered as an important day for the hill men. Fair at Tika Kohri Tika fair held in Kohri is one of the most important fair held in the Nurpur tahsil at Tika Kohri. People go there to make their offering every Saturday and Tuesday, but the days of the fair are the four Saturdays of the month of Sawan. The Pujaris of the place who receive the offerings are the Thakurs of the Tika. It is commonly believed a person bit by a snake can be cured by visiting this place. Hence the fair is called Nagani Mata fair. It is said a woman gave birth to a serpent here and a leper was cured of his leprosy. The Tika is, therefore, called Kohri. The fair known as the Shiboo Sthan fair is held at Bhra-maur at a distance of 12 miles from Nurpur. Its days are the four Sundays of the month of Sawan although in Har also visitors come from the neighbouring tahsils of Dasuya and Dehra. Fair at Sitla The fair held at Sitla near Damtal is held on every Tuesday of Chet and attracts a large number of persons. The visitors seek shelter for the night in the temple at Damtal whose mahant receives offerings. Fair at Dehra Tahsil The most important fair in the Kangra district is that held at Jwalamukhi in Dehra tahsil. Hindus from all parts of the province and even parts of other provinces come here in large numbers in April and October during what are called the "Nauratra days of the Goddess Durga." Bhikhe Shah fair at Kangra Bhikhe Shah fair is one of the most important fair held in Tahsil Palampur at Bhawarna. Bhikhe Shah was a Rajput and he was the follower of a Musalman fakir called Shah Mustali. According to the legend one day as they were going together a dead body was being carried there. The Muslim said they were carrying a dead body but the follower said that it was a living person. The fakir asked how he could say that the man was alive. Thereupon he took off the winding sheet of the corpse and sprinkled water over the face. Shah Mustali felt ashamed of himself and Bhikha ran away in fear of his Guru. A tomb and a mosque were raised there since he was the follower of a Musalman and a fair is held there every year in June. Cattle are also brought here and are sold. Asapuri Fair at Kangra The Asapuri fair is held round the temple on the high hill in the month of August. An important wrestling match takes place at Saliana at a distance of six miles from Palampur. At Kangra two fairs are held like those of Jwalamukhi during the Durga weeks in October and April. Visitors from all parts of the country come and pay their homage at the ancient temple of the goddess. The old temple with its golden domes and spire was demolished by the terrible earthquake of 1905 but the image of the goddess was left intact. A new temple has been raised again and the fairs are held regularly. At Ranital 11 miles from Kangra there is the tomb of a Hindu fakir named Bawa Fattu. It is said he possessed the power of granting the wish of all those that approached him. A fair is held there on the Baisakhi day. This is the place where a fight took place between the Raja of Chamba and the Katoch Raja of the Kangra State. The former was killed treacherously and it is according to his dying wish that a fair is held there. People believe that he went on fighting even after his head had been severed from his body. Gaddis of the high hills flock there in large numbers and in addition to cattle woollen blankets are sold there. The temple at which the fair is held is now managed by the Raja of Chamba. A muafi is also attached to this temple. The fair takes place on the 7th of every year. |
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