Chamba’s Minjar Fair continues to uphold spirit of communal unity
Naresh Thakur
Chamba, July 25
The international Minjar Fair of Chamba, which symbolises the blossoming of maize, is among the festivals which embody the spirit of communal harmony.
The festival is the oldest in the region and signifies the close relationship between Hindus and Muslims. It begins with a Muslim family offering the holy minjar (silk tassels that resemble maize blossoms) at the Laxmi Narayan Temple in Chamba.
“My forefathers used to prepare the first minjar for the royal family of Chamba, which the king himself would offer in the temple,” said Ijaz Mirza, whose family carries on the legacy. He said the making of minjars begins on Baisakhi.
The minjars are prepared as per the demand from the Chamba Municipal Council. He said minjars were also made available for sale in the market. As part of the tradition, during the eight-day fair, sisters tie minjars to their brothers, the ceremony akin to the festival of Rakhi.
The festival will commence on July 28 and run until August 4, with the Muslim family presenting the specially weaved minjar to Lord Laxminath and Lord Raghunath.
The fair traces its origin to the 10th century, marking the victory of King Sahila Varman over the king of Kangra. The defeated king presented blossoms of maize and paddy to King Varman. According to another legend, in the 10th century, the Ravi changed its course after a saint performed a week-long penance in the Champavati Temple. He used a seven-colour cord resembling maize blossoms that he named minjar so that pilgrims could access the Hari Rai Temple across the river.
During the fair, people adorn themselves with minjars on their colourful clothing and pray for timely rains and bountiful crops. The fair concludes with the immersion of holy minjars in the Ravi.
The preparations for the fair are in the full swing here. Deputy Commissioner Mukesh Repaswal took stock of preparations and instructed the officials of various departments to complete all arrangements promptly.
DC Repaswal also directed them to ensure cleanliness at Chaugan, the venue of the fair, and to strictly enforce a complete ban on single-use plastic.
