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| Fair and
festivals are interwoven in the daily lives of the people of this district. It is rather a
cultural heritage of the people. It celebrated here exhibit a high civic sense of
associations and social discipline. Various type of fairs and festivals are celebrated
almost around the year. The fairs and festivals observed throughout the year are given
here under : |
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 Fairs |
Festivals |
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| Fairs |
| Sr.No. |
Fairs |
Venue |
Month & Description |
| 1 |
Nalwari Fair |
Luhnu Ground, Bilaspur |
Nalwari, State level fair, is attached with
the cattle wealth. The fair last for seven days i.e 17-23 March. |
| 2 |
Navratri Fair
(Sri Naina Devi Ji) |
Sri Naina Devi Ji |
A week long religious fair in Navratra. It is
generally organised in the month of August/October. |
| 3 |
Gugga Fair |
Gehrwin in Tehsil Jhandutta |
It begins from Gugga Navami (August /
September). To commemorate Gugga, a Hindu Rajput young prince who overcame his enemies
heroically. It is generally believed that the worships of Gugga saves from the danger from
the snakes. Group of singers praise the heroic deeds of Gugga. |
| 4 |
Baisakhi Fair |
Markand,Jukhala |
It begins in
the month of April. There is a natural spring at this place and married couples come to
have a bath in sacred water which is believed to cure certain infant diseases and
sterility is changed into fertility. |
| 5 |
Shahtalai Fair |
Shahtalai,Jhandutta |
It begins in
the month of June. Worship of Baba Balak Nath Ji last for one month. Fair are held through
out the month. |
| 6 |
Bag Fair |
Panjgain, Bilaspur |
It begins in
the month of June. Dangal is the main attraction of the fair. |
| 7 |
Bachretu Fair |
Bachretu,Sri Naina Devi Ji |
It begins in
the month of April. People come to have Baisakhi bath at Bachretu. |
| Festivals |
|
| Sr. No. |
Festivals |
Month &
Description |
| 1 |
Lohri
(Makar Sakranti) |
It
falls on the 13th and 14th January. This is observed by igniting fire, distributing
reories, gachak, groundnuts etc. On this day people mostly relish "Khichri" with
pure ghee. Devout among Hindus take only dip in the sacred rivers. |
| 2 |
Basant Panchami |
It
is festivals of colours. People usually put on yellow clothes, cook yellow rice and other
sweat preparations. This festivals bids farewell to winter and welcomes the spring. |
| 3 |
Shivratri |
The
festival is generally observed by Hindus in every household. Lord Shiva is worshiped in
various temples by offering water mixed with milk on the shivlings. |
| 4 |
Holi |
Holi
is a festivals of colours and merry making. It usually falls in March. It makes the
beginning of the spring season. The young boys form small parties and go about the
streets. They sing and dance. They throw coloured water on one another. Children also go
around merry making. They have Pichkari (syringe) and buckets full of coloured water. They
throw coloured water on people with their Pichkari. The elder people use abir and gulal.
They rub them on the foreheads of the people. |
| 5 |
Baisakhi |
The
Baisakhi is a seasonal festival. It is celebrated all over the district by all the classes
of people. Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs celebrate it. It falls on the first day of Baisakh on
the 13th of April. People put on new clothes and prepare halwa and other tasty dishes. A
fair is held at many important places. |
| 6 |
Haryali |
It
is a fair of greenness and vendure and is celebrated on the first of Sawana i.e. mid July. |
| 7 |
Janam Ashtmi |
Janam
Ashtmi the birthday of Lord Krishna is celebrated in the month of August/September every
year. People worship in the temples for long hours and religious songs are sung. Many
people mostly elderly and ladies fast on this day. |
| 8 |
Dussehra |
Dussehra
is one of the great festivals of Hindus. They celebrate it with gaiety in honour of Shri
Ram Chandra's victory over Ravan, the demon king of Lanka. It falls on Shukla Vijaya Dasmi
in the month of Asauj. The Ramayana is staged in the form of a drama commonly called
Ram Lila, for ten days. The whole of Ram's life is depicted in leela. On the 10th
day i.e. Vijay Dashmi huge effigies of Ravana, Kumbkarana and Meghnath are raised in the
ground and towards the sun set they are set on fire. It emphasises that the good always
triumphs over the evil. |
| 9 |
Diwali |
To
commemorate the victory of Rama over Ravana and return of Rama to Ayodhya, Diwali the
festivals of illumination is celebrated in the month of October / November. Diwali the
festival of lights takes place on the Amavasya of Krishan Paksh. Diwali is celebrated with
great pomp and show. People whitewash their houses and shops. Every place in the house is
cleaned, decorated with pictures, toys and paper flowers. On the night of Diwali houses
and shops are illuminted, shopkeepers close their old accounts. They open new ones for the
new year. It is believed that goddess Lakshmi visit their houses on this day. |
| 10 |
Sair |
The
Sakranti of Kartika, worshiping is done usually by a barber with citrus fruit (galgal),
walnuts and stalks of paddy, who is paid some annuity. The next day all offerings are
consigned to the khad or river flowing nearby. |
