Chamba fair concludes with immersion of ‘minjars’ in Ravi
Our Correspondent
Chamba, August 4
The eight-day-long Minjar fair concluded on Sunday in Chamba on the banks of the Ravi river with the immersion of ‘minjars’ symbolising the blossoming of maize. Chamba legislator Neeraj Nayar led the Shobha Yatra.
Thousands of locals, dressed in traditional attire, participated in a procession from the Akhand Chandi Palace to Manjri Garden by the Ravi river, where the ‘minjars’ (silk tassels) were immersed in the flowing water.
The fair began last Sunday with the hoisting of the ‘minjar’ flag at Chowgan, the main landmark of the historic town. During the festival, locals, mainly farmers, gather at the historic Lakshmi Narayan and Raghuvira temples to offer holy ‘minjars.’
These ‘minjars’ are exchanged among friends and relatives before being immersed in the river as an offering to Lord Varuna. According to old-timers, the fair is associated with the monsoon, during which farmers pray for heavy rains and a good harvest.
The ‘minjar’ also embodies the spirit of communal harmony as the fair begins after a Muslim Mirza family offers a ‘minjar’ at the Lakshmi Narayan Temple and to Lord Raghuvira. The fair also continues to conserve the traditional Kunjdi-Malhar songs of the Chamba. The melodies which earlier were sung in every household now are confined to the fair as there are very few people left who know how to sing these songs.
The fair is believed to have originated in the 10th century, marking the victory of the then ruler Sahila Varma over the Kangra king who presented maize and paddy blossoms to Varma. Chamba town was founded during this time. Another legend suggests that a sage at the Champavati temple on the Ravi riverbank performed a week-long ‘yajna,’ changing the river’s course and enabling people to visit the Hari Rai temple across the water channel.
