Press Trust of India

Baba Chamliyal mela along IB in Samba to be held on June 23

Decrease Font Size Increase Font Size Text Size Print This Page

Jammu: After two years of coronavirus pandemic, authorities in Samba district of Jammu and Kashmir are going to host Baba Chamliyal Mela on June 23 on the Indo-Pakistan international border in Ramgarh sector, an official said.
An epicenter of the Indo-Pak bonhomie in the past, the famous fair at the shrine of Baba Dalip Singh Manhas, a saint popularly known as Baba Chamliyal, is expected to witness a huge rush of devotees this year.
Chairman District Development Council Keshav Dutt Sharma, in the presence of Samba Deputy Commissioner Anuradha Gupta, chaired a meeting at Baba Chamliyal shrine to discuss the arrangements for the mela, an official spokesman said.
Gupta said the district administration has started making elaborate arrangements for organising the fair by making provision of all basic amenities like water, electricity, information centre, transportation and others for the convenience of the devotees. Baba Chamliyal, after whom the village on the zero line in Samba district’s Ramgarh sector is named, lived over 300 years ago and is revered by the people of all faiths because of his saintly qualities and spiritual powers.
The mela has become popular since November 2003 after a ceasefire and parallel peace initiatives by both the countries. While it is held for three days at the shrine complex on the Indian side, it is also held for a week on the opposite side of the border in Saidanwali village of Sialkot district in Pakistan.
Till 1971, Pakistani nationals were allowed to come to the Indian side of the border to pay obeisance at the shrine. However, after the 1971 India-Pakistan war, the practice was stopped. Since then, only a Pakistan Rangers delegation comes to offer chadar at the shrine and, in return, carries ‘shakkar and sharbat’, believed to have healing powers against various skin ailments, from the shrine for the devotees in Pakistan.
However, India did not host any delegation from across the border since 2018 following the killing of four BSF personnel including an assistant commandant in unprovoked ceasefire violation by Pakistani Rangers on June 13 that year which also led to the cancellation of the mela.
The mela was, however, held next year without the traditional exchange of sweets, ‘Chadar’ and shakkar (sacred clay) and sharbat (water).


Press Trust of India

Press Trust of India is lead news agency of India

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *