KUMBHA MELA January-February
Further to the east and south, in the heart of India, KUMBH, the greatest and the most important of the Indian fairs, takes place once every three year, at one of the four places : Nasik in Maharashtra. Ujjaini in Madhya Pradesh, Prayag (Allahabad) and Haridwar in Uttar Pradesh. Hindus from all over the country come in millions for a holy dip. Sadhus of every sect, pilgrims in search of salvation, showmen of every sort, magicians, fakirs and teachers descend in huge hordes to these holy places, in an unprecedented exhibition of religious and commercial fervour.
Originally the fair served the purpose of meeting of religious heads of various sects in Hinduism, and gave an opportunity for theological debate and discourse on the grandest scale. For close upto a fortnight, while the fair lasts, it is time of frolic and spirited bargaining. A time for dharma and a time for fun.
A common feature of Indian rural life is the bazaar day or the hat as it is called in north India, or sandy in the south. In the villages, this is not only a social but an economic necessity sometimes having a religious slant. People from adjoining villages assemble in one place to buy what they need and sell what they produce. Usually, the fair breaks after the barter, but sometimes when an important festival comes, other attractions add to the importance of the meeting.
Some of the larger ones arrange a giant wheel, a merry-go-round or even a visit from a travelling circus, apart from all the traditional characters like the medicine-men with their colourful patter, who are to be found at all fairs. These occasions, apart from being diversions in their own way, are also an insight into Indian rural value system.
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