|
Lohri
(13 January)
This
festival heralds the onset of spring and is also known as Makar
Sankranti. The whole region wears a festive look on this
day.
Thousands
take a dip in the holy rivers. 'Havan Yagnas' light up
nearly every house and temple in Jammu. In the rural areas it
is customary for young boys to go around asking for gifts from
newly-weds and parents of new-borns.
A special dance called the 'Chajja' is held on the
occasion of Lohri. It makes a striking picture to see boys
along with their 'Chajjas' elaborately decorated with coloured
paper and flowers dance on the street in a procession. The
whole atmosphere comes alive with pulsating drumbeats.
Baisakhi
(April 13 or 14)
The name
Baisakhi is taken from the first month of the Vikram
calendar. Every year, on the first day of ‘Vaishakh’, the
people of Jammu, like the rest of northern India, celebrate
Baisakhi. Also known as the "harvest festival", it is
considered auspicious especially for marriages. Devotees who
take a ritual dip every year, throng the rivers, canals and
ponds. Many people go to the Nagbani temple to witness the
grand New Year celebration.
The
occasion is marked by numerous fairs and people come in
thousands to celebrate the beginning of the New Year and watch
the famous ‘Bhangra’ dance of Punjab. For the Sikhs
of Jammu, Baisakhi is the day their tenth guru, Guru Gobind
Singhji, formed the Khalsa sect in 1699. The Gurudwaras are
full of people who come to listen to ‘kirtans’, offer
prayers and feast on the ‘prasad’ from the common kitchen
(‘langar’).
Bahu
Mela (March-April & September-October)
A major festival is held at the Kali Temple in Bahu Fort, twice
a year.
Chaitre Chaudash (March-April)
Chaitre
Chaudash is celebrated at Uttar Behni, about 25 kms from Jammu.
Uttar Behni gets its name from the fact that the Devak river
(locally also known as Gupt Ganga) flows here in the northerly
direction.
Purmandal
Mela (February-March)
Purmandal
is 39 kms from Jammu city. On Shivratri, the town wears a
festive look and for three days as people celebrate the
marriage of Lord Shiva to Goddess Parvati. The people of Jammu
also come out in their colourful best to celebrate Shivratri at
Peer Khoh, the Ranbireshwar Temple and the Panjbhaktar
Temple.
In fact,
if one visits Jammu during Shivratri, one finds a celebration
going on almost everywhere.
Jhiri
Mela (Oct-Nov.)
An
annual fair is held in the name of Baba Jitu, a simple and
honest farmer who preferred to kill himself rather than submit
to the unjust demands of the local landlord to part with his
crop. He killed himself in the village of Jhiri, 14 kms from
Jammu. A legend has grown around the Baba and his followers
congregate at Jhiri on the appointed day from every corner of
North India; they revere him for his compassion, courage and
honesty.
|
|
Navratra
festival at Katra
|
Navratra
Festival (Sept-Oct)
Though
the yatra to the shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi is a
round-the-year event, the one undertaken during the Navratras
is considered the most auspicious. In order to showcase and
highlight the regional culture, heritage and traditions of the
area during this period, the State Tourism Department has
instituted the Navratra Festival as an annual event to be held
during September / October for all the nine auspicious days of
the Navratras. A large number of tourists pay their obeisance
to the deity during this period. This festival showcases the
religious traditions as well as the popular culture of the
region among the millions of pilgrims who visit the
Vaishnodeviji Shrine during this period.
|
