Fairs Flashcards
Kumbh Mela
Religious Gathering ( UNESCO - 2017)
People come to dip in holy river
Held on a rotational basis : Prayagraj (Up) - confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati
Haridwar (Uttarakhand) - Ganga
Nashik -Trimbak (MH) - Godavari
Ujjain (MP) - Shipra
Mythology : samudra manthan produced Amrit stored in Kumbh (pot) and during battle of Devas and Kumbh , Lord Vishnu dropped drops amrit at 4 places
Held After 12 years
Simhastha Kumbh : At Nashik and Ujjan if mela is held when a planet is in Leo
Ardh-Kumbh Mela : held after 6 years in Haridwar and Prayagraj
At this Kumbh Mela All India Hindu Sabha ( later Hindu mnahasabha) was found in 1915
Sonepur Mela
Largest cattle fair in Asia
held in Sonepur, Bihar, at confluence of River Ganga and the Gandak
Usually in november , Kartik Poornima
Large no of Elephants are sold
Legend has it ChandraGupta Maurya used to by elephants and horses during this fair
Chitra Vichitra Fair
Largets Tribal fairs in Gujrat
Celebrated mainly by Garasia and Bhil tribes
Amavasya after Holi, the tribal women go to the river to mourn for their near and dear departed once.
The festivities start from the next day
Lively dance, handicrarft ..
Shamlaji Fair
celebrated by tribal community in Gujrat
to revere Lord Shamlaji “the dark Divine” (thought to be incarnate of Krishna and Vishnu)
worship and take a holy bath in the Meshwo River
The Bhils have immense faith in Shamlaji , lovingly called “Kaliyo Dev”
3 weeks in nov , kartik Poornima being most imp day of Fair
Pushkar Fair
Annual Fair
Pushkar, Rajasthan
Staring from ‘kartik Poornima’ and lasts for a week
one of largest camel and cattle fairs in world
Farmers buy and sell their cattle
camel races , moustache competitions , turban tying competitions, dancing and camel riding take centre stage
Desert Festival
for 3 days
Jaisalmer ( generally in feb)
showcase vibrant culture of Rajasthan
Kolayat Fair ( kapil Muni Fair)
Bikaner, Rajasthan
on Kartik Poornima
people take dip the holy Kolayat Lake to get despite from sins
Fair named after great sage Kapila Muni ( who undertook intense meditation for benefit of Humanity)
Large cattle fair is also organized
Surajkund Crafts Fair
International Crafts fair
Annually for a Fortnight in feb
near Faridabad, Haryana
showcase regional and international crafts and cultural heritage
Craftsmen from all parts of India take part
Pottery, weaving , papier-mache, bamboo etc
Gangasagar Mela
At mouth of the river Hooghly (Southern tip of Sagar Island) , West Bengal - Jan-Feb Month
A holy dip in Ganges especially on the day of Makar Sankranti
Naga Sadhus lends a unique identity to Fair
“The famous Kapil Muni Temple is located on Sagar Island”
Goa Carnival
Portuguese Introduced the Goa Carnival in INDIA
40 days before Lent ( a period of Abstinence and Spirituality)
feasting and merrymaking
people wear masks and come
onto the streets to party
showcases rich Goan Heritage and culture
has Portuguese influence
Jaydev Kenduli Mela
Jaydev Kenduli is a Village in Birbhum District of West Bengal
In memory of Jayadeva, on makar Sankranti
considered as a possible birthplace of the Poet Jayadeva
who composed Gita Givinda
- Believed to be court poet of Raja Lakshman Sen
Chillai Kalan
40 days harsh winter in Kashmir
from 21 dec to 29 jan
sumptuous Harissa (hot meaty stew)
first day namedas World Pheran Day ( pheran - long woollen gown for males and females) is worn as protection against the cold
Naropa Festival
Kumbh of Himalayas
Ladakh
every 12 years as per Tibetan Calendar
celebrate Buddhist Philosopher and scholar Naropa ( lived in 11th century AD and tought at Nalanda Mahavihara)
