India is a land of festivals and fairs, most of the festivals in India are either held on religious places or celebrate the changes in season. Most of the fairs are held at the places of pilgrimage and attract thousands of customers. From Bihar to Assam, each Indian state has its own festival and fairs. The famous Sonepur Mela held in Bihar is one of the most famous cattle fairs. Indian festivals are quite popular and even foreigners visit these festivals. Some of the Indian fairs include Pushkar Fair, Baneshwar Fair Gangasagar Fair, Tarnetar Mela, Chaitre Chaudash Mela, Nagaur pair etc.
Here we list Top 10 indian fairs you must visit:
10. Baneshwar fair – Rajasthan
This is a popular tribal fair held in Dungarpur district in Rajasthan. Baneshwar refers to the ‘master of the delta’ coming from the Shiva Linga which is worshipped in the Mahadev temple in Dungarpur. This fair has simple traditional rituals. Between January to February each year, the people of the Bhil community of Rajasthan, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh join at the meeting point of Mahi and Som Rivers. The fun songs, folk dances, magic shows, animal shows and acrobatic feats are some of the features of the fair.
9. Ambubachi Fair – Assam
Ambubachi Mela of Kamakhya Dham is one of the noted fairs and festivals celebrated in India. Held every year during monsoon in the Kamakhya temple in Guwahati. This festival takes place during the Assamese month Ahaar, around mid-June, and the Brahmaputra river is in spate. This is the celebration of the yearly menstruation course of goddess Kamakhya.Devotees visit this fair from all over the o country. The Pandits chanting mantras on behalf of the devotees, devotees performing pooja, all these make the fair a must visit.
8. Gangaur Fair
It takes place in Rajasthan. It is held in honor of the goddess, Mata Gauri. Young girls dress in their best dresses and pray for their desired spouse and the married ones pray for the health and happiness of their partners. This fair is popular in Bikaner, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer and Nathdwara but it is celebrated all across Rajasthan. At the auspicious moment in the afternoon, the procession of women is taken to the nearest water source with pictures of Gauri and Isar on the heads of married ladies. Then, songs about Gauri’s departure to the house of her husband is sung.
7. Chandrabhaga Mela – Odisha
On the day of Magha Saptami, Chandrabhaga Mela, the most popular festival falls in the month of February. People worship the Sun God at Konark. The festival takes place at Jhalrapatan, situated at a distance of about six kilometers from Jhalawar, in the month of Kartika. One of most popular and colorful festival and lakhs of pilgrims visit Konark to observe the festival.
6. Gangasagar Mela – West Bengal
This fair is celebrated in West Bengal. About 80 km south of Kolkata this place is situated on an island in the Sunderbans. This festival is held on Makar Sankranti and devotees from all over India visit this place. A dip in the water during Gangasagar Mela, is considered to be the most sacred. On the day of Makar Sankranti i.e. January 14, sun makes a transition from Sagittarius to Capricorn, it is considered that the bath becomes a source of salvation.
5. Kolayat Fair – Rajasthan
Kolayat fair is held in Bikaner, the Rajasthan. Also known as Kapil Muni Fair it is held on Kartika Purnima. Kolayat is an old religious place where the Vedic sage, Kapila is believed to have shed his body under a Peepul tree. Kolayat Fair sees all the 52 Ghats beautifully decorated. This fair is as much important as spending ten years at any other holy place. This festival is mainly associated with the birth of the Ganges river. It is a great sight for the tourists to see hundreds of lighted lamps floating in the lake.
4. Hemis Gompa Fair – Ladakh
This fair celebrates the birth anniversary of Padmasambhava, the founder of Tibet Tantric Buddhism and spiritual leader in Hemis, Ladakh (Leh). Falling on the 10th day of the fifth month of the Tibetan lunar calendar, this festival is celebrated for two days along with a huge, colorful fair. Pre-Lamaism priests dressed in rich robes of china silk and brocade with odd tall tufted hats initiate a solemn parade.
3. Pushkar Fair
Rajasthan This is an Annual five-day camel and livestock fair, held in the town of Pushkar in the Ajmer district of Rajasthan. This is one of the world’s largest camel fairs and livestock fair. The fair is thronged by thousands of livestock dealers, who bring large numbers of camels, horses and cattle. Pushkar fair has competitions like matka phod, longest moustache, and bridal competition and attracts thousands of tourists every year. Hindu pilgrims also take a dip in the sacred Pushkar Lake. Every year more than 50,000 camels are sold, decorated, shaved.
2. Sonepur Mela – Bihar
On the day of Kartik Poornima (the full moon day) in the month of November, this festival is held in Sonepur, Bihar, where river Ganges and Gandak meet. It is considered one of the world’s largest animal fairs. This remarkable cattle fair of Asia stretches on for fifteen days to one month. This is also known as Harihar Kshetra Mela, and for one month buffaloes, horses, dogs, birds, elephants, camels, cows, sheep, rabbits, guinea pigs are traded. The origin story is traced back to the times when Emperor Chandragupta Maurya used to buy elephants and horses.
1. Khumbh Mela
Kumbh Mela sees the largest gathering. Hindus gather to take a bath in the sacred river. In Kumbha Mela kumbh refers to a pitcher and Mela means fair. People take a dip in the holy waters on auspicious days. Kumbh Mela is held every third year at one of the four places chosen in rotation. These four places include: at Haridwar on the Ganges River, at Ujjain on the Shipra, at Nasik on the Godavari, and at Prayag (Allahabad) where the Ganges, Jamuna, and the mythical Sarasvati meet.
We hope this article was informative and helpful.Here we listed top 10 Indian fairs you must visit. From cattle fairs to religious pilgrims, India has had a culture rich in the festivities.
Santosh Kumar is a Professional SEO and Blogger, With the help of this blog he is trying to share top 10 lists, facts, entertainment news from India and all around the world.