Rajasthan - Art, Culture & Heritage @ whatisindia.com

FAIRS
Pushkar Fair
The Kartik fair at Pushkar, mainly a bathing fair in the lake regarded as the holiest of holies by the Hindus is the biggest of all fairs. It attracts more than one lakh people. Pushkar is among the five main places of pilgrimage mentioned in the Hindu scriptures. It has a large number of temples including one of the two temples dedicated to Brahma in India.

According to mythology, the area where Pushkar now stands was once terrorized by a demon, Vijra Nabh, who murdered Brahma's children. On hearing this, the god appeared and killed the demon with a lotus flower. The petals of the flower fell at three places where three lakes including the Pushkar lake were formed. A dip in the lake is intended to ensure entry into heaven after death. At the same time as the Kartik fair a cattle fair is also held at Pushkar. A large number of bards and minstrels are present to sing and recite ballads and traditional tales of valor and chivalry. The Pushkar fair is an attractive and lively spectacle with its colorful crowds, saffron-robed and ash smeared Sadhus and thousands of bulls, cows, sheep, goats and camels in richly decorated saddles.

The Kaila Devi Fair
The Kaila Devi Fair is one of the principal fairs of Rajasthan which is held from Chaitr Krishna 12 to Chaitr Shukla 12 at Kaila in the Karauli sub-division of Sawai Madhopur district. The village was named Kalia after a sadhu called Kedar Giri who lived on the banks of the river Kali Sil. The images of Lakshmi and Chammunda can be seen in the temple of Kalia Mata.

During the Yadavas rule, Maharaja Gopal Singh built a big temple with dome and a golden pinnacle. Number of buildings were constructed during the time of Maharaja Bhanwarpal and the area acquired vast popularity for its sanctity and scenic charm. The fair is held for a fortnight, during which animals are sacrificed outside the temple to propitiate the goddess. Traders from surrounding areas come to the fair and do brisk business. Rajputs, Meenas and members of the some other scheduled castes are among the principal devotees of Kaila Devi.

Sheetla Mata Fair
The Sheetla Mata Fair in honor of the goddess of small-pox is held in all village and towns on Sheetla Ashtama day. The biggest fair is held in March-April every year at Seel-Ki-Doongri, a village in Jaipur district. There is a shrine dedicated to the Mata on a hillock, locally called Doongri. The present temple is said to have been erected by Maharaja Madho Singh of Jaipur. The fair is attended by one lakh or more people.

Sheetla Mata is among the Puranic goddess and venerated all over the country. She is addressed differently in different areas. In U. P she is known as Mata or Maha Mai, in western India as Mai Anama and in Rajasthan as Sadh, Sheetla or Sedal Mata. The word 'Sheetla' comes from sheetal. The belief is that Sheetla Mata appears in the form of small pox to calm the sufferer after he had been afflicted with high fever.

This fair is also known as a fair of bullock-carts. The devotees of the Mata come from far and near in their decorated bullock-carts and the tinkling of bells tied to the necks of bullocks fills the air. The assemblage of these carts and their colorful occupants at the foot of the hillock crowned by the shrine is one of the memorable sights of Rajasthan.

Karni Mata Fair
The shrine of Karni Mata at Deshnok in the Nokha tehsil of Bikaner district is the venue of a fair twice a year. Both these fairs are held in Navaratra, the first in March-April and the second, which is smaller , in September-October. Deshnok is said to have been founded by Karni Mata in 1419. There is a legend behind the Karni Mata Fair. Karni Bai was a strange girl with mysterious power. As she was the sixth girl in the family, her aunt wanted to cause her harm but the woman's arm was dislocated. At the age of five, Karni Bai cured her aunt's arm and her father who was bitten by a snake. She helped people with her supernatural powers. On her way to Sind to meet her sister, Karni Bai met a blind carpenter at Jaisalmer. She asked him to make a wooden statue of her and rest his head on it when he lay down to sleep. The carpenter did so and found himself transported to Deshnok the next morning, where his sight was restored. Karni Mata is said to have died in 1538 and she has been worshipped as a goddess since then.

The temple of Karni Mata contains a 75 cm image of the deity. It is built of the yellow marble found in Jaisalmer. There is a mukat or crown on the head of the image and Karni Mata is shown weaning earnings. The temple of Karni Mata has been described as the temple of nice who roam freely about the shrine, unconcerned by the devotees who throng there. If anybody reads on a mouse and kills it, in repentance he has to present a silver mouse at the temple.

Kapil Muni Fair
The Kapil Muni fair is held every year on Kartik Purnima in Kolayat which is a sacred place near Bikaner. The word 'Kolayat' is derived from the Sanskrit word Kapilyatan. Kolayat is located on a plateau which is part of Thar desert. Here a deep depression forms a lake where water is sweet and pure. The lake has fifty-two ghats. A statue of Kapil Muni has been installed at the main ghat.

According to the Skanda Purana, who was married to the daughter of Maharshi Manu. Kapil Muni attained the highest religious merit in boyhood and taught his mother the Sankhya Sastra. On his retirement to the Himalayas Kapil Muni came across on oasis and was bewitched by its beautiful surroundings. A part of his soul lingered there and oasis became famous and many devotees thronged it. But the gods became jealous and hid it in the sandy desert. Skandh Deo, the son of Siva and Parvathi, took pity on suffering humanity and brought the place back to light. Great significance is attached to a dip in the holy lake which is supposed to Purge the devout of his sins.

There are many legends connected with the area, which tell of rebirths and vows made and broken and of rishis and munis who faltered and were saved. Through the centuries a number of miracles are said to have been performed due to the intercession of Kapil Muni. This belief still lingers to keep the fair going.

Banganga Fair
The Banganga Fair is held near a rivulet about 11km from Bairat, a historical township in Jaipur district. People come on the full moon day of Vaisakh to have a dip in the sacred stream which is supposed to have originated from the sport where Arjun shot an arrow. The fair ground is surrounded by low hills and has an abundance of palm trees. The origin of the fair is shrouded in mystery. The fair started about 200 years ago, when the Radha-Krishna temple was erected. No feasts are held in the temple and the pilgrims bring their own food. The banks of the Banganga are studded with temples. Besides the Radha-Krishna temple, and by the side of the Nand Kund, is the shrine of Hanuman. Maharaja Ram Singh built the Har-Ki-Pauri. People gather at the temple a day before the fair starts and sing bhajans at night.

The Radha-Krishna temple is an impressive double storey building. After ten steps, there is a shrine of Garuda facing the main idols of Krishna and Radha. On the four sides are Verandahs. One of them has the images of the Pandavas and their wife, Draupadi. In the right verandah is a row of lingas on which water flows through a common channel. One of the lingas has five faces carved on it. This is known as the Panch-Mikhi-Madhaeva of Ekdash Rudra.

Jambheswar Fair
The Jambheswar fair is in honour of Jambheswari who is the founder of the Bishnoi sect. Every year two fairs are held in his honour on Phalgun Budi Amavasya and Ashivan Budi Amavasya in Mukm village in Bikaner district. Phalgun Budi Amavasya is the biggest fair.

The Bishnois form a separate sect and do not mix with other Hindus and worship Vishnu in his Jambhaji incarnation. The Bishnois believe that the city of Viskramaditya, with its throne of gold, is buried beneath the sand dune where the saint died. Jambheshwarji was the thirty-second descendant of Vikramaditya. According to legend, he was found under a tree and tended cows till the age of twelve. He is supposed to have been dumb in childhood but wrought a self-miracle which gave him speech. He later gave up the occupation of cowherd and settled down on the top of a hill where he gave the Bishnois the twenty-nine articles of their religion. The word 'Bisnoi' is a combination of 'bees' (twenty) and 'noi' (nine)- The followers of the twenty-nine articles of faith laid down by Jambeshwarji.

Sitabari Fair
Sitabari is a small place near Kelwara village in the Sahabad tehsil of Kota district and the fair is held from Baisakh Sudi Punam to Jeth Budi Amavasya. Sitabari is situated in a picturesque forest. According to legend, it marks the spot where Sita was left by Lakshman at the behest of Rama. There are four tanks filled by natural springs. The water is said to cure people of various ailments, particularly mental diseases. The water in these Kunda is cold in summer and warm in winter and the kunds never go dry. The Sitabari fair attracts thousands people who take a bath in the Sita Kund, the Laxman Kund and the Suraj Kund-which are regarded as holy as the Ganges.

Priesthood at the shrine is hereditary and there are various priests attached to the kunds. No offerings are made at the fourth kund which is knows as Bharat Kund because it is considered inauspicious to do so.

Urs ofKhwaja Moinuddin Chishti
Urs of Khawaja Moinuddin Chishti at Ajmer is the biggest attraction for the Muslims. Over two lakh Muslims assemble here to pay homage to the memory of the saint at his dargah (mausoleum). The localities around the dargah present gay spectacle on this occasion. Many devotees arrange feasts, known as Niyaz for the poor. Rich among the devotees arrange qawwalis and recitations of Milad Sharif. During the qawwalis, many spectators go into trance, quivering and moving their bodies briskly, repeating the refrain of the qawwalis along with qawwals. This state of trance is known as hal and often scores of people are affected by it.

Pilgrims make rich offerings at the holy spot where the Khwaja is entombed in the dargah. The Khwaja is believed to possess miraculous powers and can ensure the birth of a son, cure ailments, ward off evil spirits and bring good luck. From the architectural point of view the dargah is unique.

Galiyakot Urs
The Urs at Galiyakot attracts Davoodi Bohras from all over the country. Galiyakot is a small village situated on the banks of the Mahi river in the interior of the Sagwara tehsil of picturesque Dungarpur district. It is the place where Syedi Fahruddin, the venerated saint of the Bohras lies buried. The shrine of the saint is near the village. The mausoleum has a beautiful dome sixteen metres highs and six metres wide. There is a mosque by the side of the shrine where women can offer prayers. There are a number of graves around the dargah and in one of them lies buried Bhai Sahib, the son of the saint.

The Son of Tarmal, Syedi, Fakrhuddin in his wanderings came to the village of Galiyakot where he died and was buried. He performed many miracles, and pilgrims from India and abroad visit the shrine to seek his intercession. His Urs is celebrated on the twenty seventh of Moharrum, according to the Egyptian calendar which differs from the Hijri Calendar followed by Sunni Muslims.

Jeen Mata & Annakoot Fairs
Jeen Mata fair is held at the shrine of Jeen Mata, a few kilometers from Goriyan railway station in Sikar district, during the Navaratras. Rajputs and Meenas, who worship Kali as the principal deity, throng this shrine and make offering of wine and meat obtained by sacrificing goats and buffalos. The Meenas lend colour and music to the scene. Jeen Mata occupies an important place amongst the local deities of Rajasthan. There is a saying in Rajasthan that those who have not had a 'darshan' of the Jeen Mata temple, have not seen anything.

There are many stories about the deity and miracles performed by Jeen. Jeen Mata temple is located in Adabla Girmala village, south of Rivasi in Sikar district. A mela is held on the occasion of Durga Puja in the temple every year. There is an eight-faced statue of the Devi. Two lamps are lit in front of the statue all the time. It is said that wishes of worshippers are fulfilled after 'darshan' of Jeen Mata.

The Annakoot fair is held in Udaipur district at Nathdwara which is the principal set of the Ballabh sect of Vaishnavas. On Annakoot day, a mountain of food is erected to satisfy the hunger of the lord of the universe. A huge pile of baked rice is prepared in the courtyard of this famous shrine which is grabbed by the Bhils as the Prasad of Kalia Baba. As soon as the doors of the shrine are throngs open, throngs of singing and dancing Bhils rush into the temple and clear up this pile. They keep the rice as a medicine, for they believe it cures many ailments. Parcels of this sacred gift are sent to friends and relatives.

Adivasi Fairs
The most important of the Adivasi fairs is held at Baneshwar in the Aspur tehsil of Dungarpur district in southern Rajasthan. The site of the fair is a small delta formed by the confluence of the river Som with the Mahi. One has to wade to the fair through the Som. The word 'Baneshwar' is derived from the Siva Linga of the area. A delta is known as 'van' in Wagad (sparsely populated area). This Vaneshwar or Baneshwar means the Master of the Delta.

The linga in the area is said to be self-born. It is small and its top is broken into five parts. The present temple w as built by Maharawal Askaran of Dungarpur. Near the temple of Baneshwar there is the temple of Vishnu built by Jankunwari, the daughter-in-law of Mavji, a highly revered saint of the area, who was supposed to be an incarnation of Vishnu. Mavji is said to have written five books called 'Chopras'. The original book is read every year at Diwali by the Goswami (priest) of the temple. Mavjis equestrain temple is the main idol of worship. After Mavji, his son succeeded him. Two disciples of Mavji built the third temple in the area which is called as the Laskshmi-Narain temple.

The tribal fair is held from Magh Shukla Ekadashi to Magh Shukla Purnima (Feb- Mar). Only the priest is permitted to touch the idols. Most of the devotees are Bhils and every night they sing round a bonfire.

Ramdeoji Fair
Ramdeora fair is held every year for ten days in August-September to pay homage to the fifteenth century saint, Shri Ramdeoji. Ramdeora village lies about 13 km from Pokaran, headquarters of a sub-division in Jaisalmer district. Ramdeoji was a Tomar Rajput. Hindus regard him as an incarnation of Lord Krishna, while Muslims venerate him as Ramshah Pir. There is a story behind the birth of Ramdeoji. In the twelfth century, King Anangpal decided to go on a pilgrimage and as he had no son, he entrusted the administration of his kingdom to Pritviraj Chauhan, his maternal grandson. Prithviraj refused to restore the kingdom to King Anangpal, who had returned from the pilgrimage and the King and his descendant settled in the part of Jaisalimer which is known as Shiv tehsil.

One of Anangpal's descendants Ajmall, was a great devotee of Dwarkadhesh (Lord Krishna). Because of his devotion Dwarkadhesh decided to take birth as his son. The child was named Ramdeo. Ramdeo soon became famous as a saintly man and five pirs from Mecca came to test him , and they were impressed by Ramdeo and paid him obeisance. Ramdeoji is considered a saint who devoted his life to the uplift of the downtrodden. He buried himself alive. Around Ramdeoji's grave a magnificent temple was built by Maharaja Ganga Singh of Bikaner. Wooden toy horses covered with cloth are among the most popular offerings at the temple. It is one of the famous fairs in Rajasthan.

Veerpuri Fair
The Veerpuri fair is held at Mandor to commemorate the heroes of Rajasthan . The site is about 10km from Jodhpur. The fair is held on the penultimate Monday of Shravan. There are two legends about its origin. According to one, Jaswant Singh who ruled Mandor was sent to Ahmednagar by Aurangzeb to crush a rebellion. Jaswant Singh prayed to old heroes of his land for success and was able to win the battle. He built a gallery of heroes at Mandor and every year on the last Monday of Shravan he visited to pay respect to the heroes.

The second legend concerning the origin of the fair relates to Veerpuja. During Mughal days, a Rajput youth had to leave his unmarried sister alone to join a battle. The sister applied tilak to her brothers forehead and he returned victorious from battle.

Rani Sati Fair
Rani Sati fair was held in Jhunjhunu town twice a year, on Magh-Krishna Navami and Bhadrapada Amavasya. It was on Magh Krishna Navami that Rani Sati, the first of the series of thirteen Satis of the Jalan family, immolated herself. The last Sati was on Bhadrapada Amavasya. As Rani was the first Sati in her family, the fair is held in her name.

There was a legend behind the fair. The Jali Ram, the diwan of Nawab of Hissar had a son Tandhan Ram who owned a fine mare. The son of Nawab of Hissar wanted the mare for himself. When his request was refused, he decided the steal the horse. Tandhan Ram threw his spear at the thief and killed him. Nawab of Hissar attacked Tandham Ram and killed him while he was returning with his wife Narainidevi to Jhunjhunu. Narainidevi took away the body of her husband and immolated herself on the funeral pyre and later appeared as a goddess. Her principal followers are Jalans, who are the descendants of another son of Jali Ram.

Mallinath Fair
The Mallinath fair held annually for a fortnight during March-April in the dry bed of the river Luni near Tilwara in Barmer is one of the biggest fairs in Rajasthan. Camels, horses, goats and sheep are brought and sold at the fair. An image of Mallinath has been installed in the temple where offerings of batashas and laddoos are made during the fair. Replicas of horses are also offered as a mark of respect.

Gogaji Fair
Gogaji fair is held in Gogamedi village in Ganganagar district in honour of Gogaji . The fair is held from the ninth day of the dark half of Bhadrapada (Goga Navami) to the eleventh day of the dark half of the same month. Gogaji Samadhi is made of white marble. His idol depicts him with a spear in hand riding a horse. His whip is also worshipped and he is supposed to be a patron of barren women. Replicas of his horse are worshipped on Goga Navami.

FESTIVALS
Rajasthan has an unending cycle of fairs and festivals throughout the year. They are perhaps the most colorful and spectacular in the whole of India. Some of the important festivals are:

Teej
Teej has been assigned the first place among the festivals. There are three Teej festivals in a year and fairs are held on those occasions in towns and villages. Teej, on the third day of the bright half of the month of Shravan is a festival for girls. The Teej for the daughter's-in-law is held on the dark fortnight of the month of Bhadon. Daughter's and daughter's-in-law are offered sweets and garments on this day. Swings are a common sight and newly married girls return to their parents home for the festival. The festival celebrates the beginning of the rainy season and peasant families come to the cities for the occasion. The most colorful Teej fair is held at Jaipur. In big towns impressive processions, led by gorgeously caparisoned elephants, camels and horses are taken out which make a grand spectacle.

Gangaur
Gangaur is a religious festival which symbolizes cultural heritage of Rajasthan. 'Gan' is a synonym of Siva and 'Gauri' of his consort, Parvathi who symbolizes married bliss. It is devotion to the ideal woman which finds expression in this festival. This festival has been celebrated by married women and young girls. Unmarried seek a good natured husband and married women pray for the health, long life and welfare of their spouses. This festival begins in the first week of Chaitr and continues up to the fourth day of the bright half of the month.

The first important ritual of the festival is the collecting of ashes from the Holi fire and burying seeds of wheat and barley in it. These are watered every day until they germinate. The ritual is performed with songs of Isar and Gauri (Siva and Parvathi) and the varying of pots of water on the head. A week after Holi, women bring clay and make images of Gauri and Isar. The rituals in honor of the goddess are colorful, with the singing of the most beautiful songs in praise of her and her consort. Mehndi is applied by the devotees on the palms of their hands. Singing and dancing are an essential part of the festival. The Gadalia festival seven days after Holi is also associated with Gangaur. Hariyali Amavasya and Basant Panchami are among the other seasonal festivals of Rajasthan.

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