The month of April is all about fun
and celebrations. It starts off with the April Fool’s Day and continues to
celebrate the harvest festivals of India like Baisakhi , Gudi Padwa and Bihu .
April marks the bloom of spring. It is that time of year, when the entire
nation celebrates the harvesting of the crops.
The month also consists of some
important days like the Jallianwala Bagh Day, Earth Day and the Tulip Day.
Along with the spring comes the month of fun and fair. There are also a few
cultural fairs and shows coming up this April, like the Kaila Devi fair and the
Mewar Fair. Those who want to have a glimpse of rural India and its culture
should attend these fairs. They are very colourful and display the fireworks,
folk dance, traditional cuisines, etc.
Another important festival falling
in this month is Ram Navmi, which is celebrated on a wide scale in the country.
This festival is rejoiced every year as the birthday of lord Ram. A lot rituals
and celebrations are followed on this day. Then falls the birthday of the
founder of Jainism, Mahavir Jayanti It is marked as a very important day in the
calendar and is celebrated on a mass level.
Kaila Devi Fair
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| Kaila Devi Temple |
The shrine of Kaila
Devi is famous for the fair held here every year. The temple is situated on the
banks of the Kalisil River in Karauli district of Rajasthan
on the Trikut hills, 2 km from Kaila village. The official name for Kaila Devi is Lahura.
The erstwhile princely rulers of Karauli state used to believe that Kaila Devi
protects their state from any kind of invasion.
The famous Kaila Devi fair is held during the Krishna Paksh of 'chaitra' and runs throughout the fortnight starting from 12th day of Chaitra Badi. According to Gregorian calendar the fair happens to be in March or April. This fair is held in honor of the deity Kaila Devi who is believed to be a form of Mahalakshmi, the goddess of wealth and Chamunda, the goddess of death. Animals are sacrificed outside the temple to propitiate the goddess.
The famous Kaila Devi fair is held during the Krishna Paksh of 'chaitra' and runs throughout the fortnight starting from 12th day of Chaitra Badi. According to Gregorian calendar the fair happens to be in March or April. This fair is held in honor of the deity Kaila Devi who is believed to be a form of Mahalakshmi, the goddess of wealth and Chamunda, the goddess of death. Animals are sacrificed outside the temple to propitiate the goddess.
It is one of the
most acclaimed fairs of Rajasthan. Kaila goddess is worshiped as the guardian
deity by the Yadavas, the Khinchis, and the princess of Karauli. There is a
small temple of Bhairon and that of Lord ‘Hanuman’ called 'Languriya' facing
the Kaila Devi's shrine in the courtyard of Kaila Devi temple. Thousands of
devotees from all the communities visit the place throughout the year. The fair
attracts a lot of pilgrims from Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Delhi and Haryana too.
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| Kaila Devi fair |
Approximately 2 lakh
devotees gather during the fair. The ritual of Kanak-Dandotis is
observed by staunch devotees. They cover a distance of 15 to 20 Kms to
reach the temple, not on foot but by lying prostrate, making lines with
their hands in that position, advancing up to the line drawn and
repeating this procedure till they reach the temple.Some of the devotees take this harsh
journey without eating food
and taking rest. The dances and singing tribal men of Mina community makes the
atmosphere lively.
This year Kaila Devi fair has celebrated on 7th April.
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