The colorful Fairs of Punjab attracts many tourist who coincide their visit with the festivities of the state so that they can witness the vibrant culture of the state.
The fair is celebrated near the shrine ‘Gugge di Marhi’ of Gugga Pir on Anand Chaudus, the 14th day of bright half of the month of Bhadon. Gugga Pir was a Chauhan Rajput who believed to have come down to earth directly with his steed and never returned. The Pir possessed special power over all kinds of Snakes. On his day of the fair, the villagers scoop the earth seven times by invoking Gugga Pir to protect them against Snakes. The fair lasts for three days with fun, music and dance.
The Jarag fair of village Pail in the month of chet (March-April) is celebrated in the honour of Goddess Seetla. The fair is otherwise known as Baheria fair. In the Puja sweet gurgulas i.e. jaggery cakes are offered to the goddess and thereafter to the donkey who is her favourite. All the devotees of Seetla gather near the pond and scoop the earth and raise a small hillock, which is treated as the shrine of the Goddess, and offer Puja. The attraction of the fair is the colourfully dressed donkeys of the plotters.
The Roshni fair held in Jagraon from 14th to 16th day of Phagun honours Abdul Kader Jalani the Muslim Pir. Celebrated by both Hindus and Muslims, lighted earthen lamps are offered near the tomb of the Pir making the light visible from long distances. The fair gets its colour with the Bolian and dances of the village’s to the tune of the flute and Toomba.
One of the most colorful event of Punjab, the Baisakhi marks the onset of a new year . Baisakhi is a seasonal festival with a special accent. It is celebrated all over the State on the first of Baisakh. This is the time when harvest is gathered in and the farmer exults in the fulfillment of his year’s hard work. He joins the merry-making with full gusto and does not mind walking for miles to be able to do so. Since this fair is also an expression of prosperity, singing and dancing constitute its most enchanting features. The Punjab’s famous Bhangra and Giddha are inextricably linked with this festival.
This religious fair of Gurdaspur is one of the important religious fair of the state
This is another landmark fair of Punjab . Shaheedi Jor Mela is organised every year in December at Gurdwara Fatehgarh Sahib, in the Fatehgarh Sahib district of Punjab to pay homage to the martyrdom of Baba Zorawar Singh ji and Baba Fateh Singh ji, the youngest of the tenth guru of sikhs Guru Gobind Singh’s four sons. Both Sahibzada’s defied all attempts of then Governor of Sirhind Wazir Khan’s offers of treasure and easy lives if they would only convert to Islam. Holding steadfast in their will to die as Sikhs, they were first entombed alive by being bricked into a wall, but mere bricks and mortar could not hold the young Sahibzadas, for the wall collapsed and fell to the ground. Then, on 26 December 1705, Baba Fateh Singh ji was cruelly and mercilessly martyred at Sirhind along with his elder brother, Baba Zorawar Singh. He is probably the youngest recorded martyr in history who knowingly and consciously laid down his life at the very tender age of 6 years.
The first day of the Mela is observed purely in religious spirits. The mela would begin from December 24 with Akhand Path of Guru Granth Sahib at gurdwara Jyoti Swarup. Political rallies & meetings would be held by various political parties next day, for which stages have been set up near gurdwaras. Mela will conclude on December 26 with nagar kirtan from gurdwara Fatehgarh Sahib to gurdwara Jyoti Swarup.
This famous fair of Alamgir draws several tourist
The Gurdwara Thumb Sahib Mela of the Maghi district is celebrated with great pomp and glory
All the musical maestros of the state assemble in Jalandhar to fill the air with music . Shree Baba Harballabh Sangeet Sammelan is a festival of Indian classical music, held every year on the last weekend in December, in Jalandhar City.
The festival, which was first held in 1875 at the Sidh Peeth Shri Devi Talab Mandir, in Jalandhar, is named after Baba Harballabh who is considered a saint and an exponent of Hindustani classical music in northern India.
The 3 day long festival hosts 15-20 artists every year. Prominent artists of Hindustani Classical Music from India and Pakistan have performed at the festival at one time or the other during the history of the festival, which attracts thousands of music lovers from all over India and other countries.
There is no admission fee. The money for organizing the festival comes from various donations and grants, both public and private.
This is a famous fair of the Anandpur Sahib.
Celebrated during winters, the fair welcomes the harvest season with song and dance.
This fair commemorates the contribution of the great heroes from the state.
This fair is celebrated with much excitement and enthusiasm . Maghi, also known as Makara Sankranti, is the first day of the month of Magh. The eve of Maghi is the common Indian festival of Lohri when bonfires are lit in Hindu homes to greet the birth of sons in the families and alms are distributed. In the morning, people go out for an early-hour dip in nearby tanks. For Sikhs, Maghi means primarily the festival at Muktsar, a district town of the Punjab, in commemoration of the heroic fight of the Chali Mukte, literally, the Forty Liberated Ones, who laid down their lives warding off an attack by an imperial army marching in pursuit of Guru Gobind Singh.
The action took place near a pool of water, Khidrane di Dhab, on 29 December 1705. The bodies were cremated the following day, the first of Magh (hence the name of the festival), which now falls usually on the 13th of January. Following the custom of the Sikhs to observe their anniversaries of happy and tragic events alike, Maghi is celebrated with end-to-end recital of the Guru Granth Sahib and religious divans in almost all gurdwaras.
This fair is celebrated in Ludhiana to mark the contribution of the Prof. Mohan Singh in the field of education
The Raipur Sports Festival highlights the sporting zeal of the people of the state . In February each year, Ludhiana becomes the destination fro hundreds of sports enthusiasts, including foreigners. They come to Kila Raipur to see the special breed of bullocks, camels, dogs, mules and other animals competing in highly protfessional events. It is to be seen to be believed. In 1946, Mr. Bakhsish Singh was instrumental in getting the most popular event of the Games – the Bullock Cart Race – introduced.
This Fair is celebrated all over the state that fills the air with joy and excitement
The biggest Rose Show in the country is held at the famous Rose Garden at Chandigarh. Varieties of magnificent roses are on display during this two-day festival.
The Festival of Gardens popularly known as Rose Festival is celebrated at Rose Garden in the month of February end or beginning of March. Initially called the Rose Festival it intended to encourage people to stroll through the Rose Garden and enjoy the sight of the blooms.
The people of Jalandhar believe that an infant child named Sodal ages ago, possessed some magical and divine powers, who on this day drowned himself in a pond as ordered by his mother. That pond is today popularly known as the “Sodal ka Sarowar”, and people from Jalandhar and cities around it gather on this day early in the morning to take a holy dip in the sarowar and pay tribute to the Samadhi of Baba Sodal. As his death anniversary is a day long event it is often termed as “Baba Sodal Mela”.
