GUJARAT FAMOUS FAIR

Shamalaji  Mela

Held In :  Shamlaji Temple, Gujarat.
In The Month of : November.
Duration :  2 Weeks.
Also Called As :  Kartik Purnima Fair.

The Shamlaji Mela, also called the Kartik Purnima fair is held in the month of November every year and lasts for about two weeks. Shamlaji Mela is attended by almost two hundred thousand people from neighboring districts and even from Rajasthan .

The Venue
The Shamlaji Temple is a renowned Vaishnav Shrine and the deity housed here is known by various names included 'Gadadhar' (bearer of the mace) and 'Shaksi Gopal'. The temple is of great archaeological implication as it was built in the 11th century. Apart from a darshan of the deity in the temple, the pilgrims consider a bath in the river Meshwo essential.

The People In Attendance
Devotees belonging to a range of castes and communities including the 'Garasias' and 'Bhils' throng this festival. These pilgrims come in groups, singing devotional songs and carry religious banners to have an audience of the deity at the Shamlaji Temple.

The fair is also well-liked with the tribal people of the area, particularly the Bhils, who revere Shamlaji, the deity they refer to as 'Kalio Bavji', the dark divinity.