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March 6, 2010 | Sikhs converge on Dehradun's Guru Ram Rai Darbar for flag fair |
Dehradun: Thousands of Sikh devotees thronged the shrine of Guru Ram Rai here on Friday for the special flag hoisting ceremony that marked the beginning of the annual 'Jhanda Mela' or, flag fair. The 309-year-old annual fair is organized
at Guru Ram Rai Darbar in Dehradun district on the fifth day after Holi, the festival
of colours. It stands for religious harmony and is celebrated to mark the birth
of Guru Ram Rai. The day is also important in the history as the district, which
was originally called ' Doon ', got its name after Guru Ram Rai established his
'Dera' meaning settlement in the valley here. "Jhanda Mela is celebrated annually
on the birth anniversary of Guru Ram Rai ji Maharaj which falls during Maha Panchami.
In 1676, Guru Ram Rai ji came to this place from Punjab and established his settlement
here. Because of his settlement here the Doon Ghats were then called Dehra Doon
and now referred as Dehradun. Guru Ram Rai ji is known as the founder of Dehradun,"
said Mahant Devinder Das, head of the shrine. A 97-feet high Sal tree has been
selected from the nearby Dundhali forests for the Jhanda mela. The devotees worship
the flag and bathe it in milk, curd and holy water of river Ganges and then wrap
it with muslin cloth. Old coverings are removed and new ones are added. The numerous
scarves that are tied around the mast, symbolise the devotion and faith of the
pilgrims who pray for fulfilment of their wishes. "Our ancestors have been coming
here since a long time. And I have been coming here for 33 years continuously.
We have a very strong belief in the almighty. Whatever we wish from god here comes
true," said Shravan Singh, a devotee from Punjab . Tradition has it that after
the offerings, the covers are removed and only 40 will remain tied to the Jhanda
Sahib. Twenty persons tie the satin scarf (the second cover) and only one gets
the honour of tying the sacred scarf (velvet cover that covers the top of the
mast), called the Darshani cover. People from Punjab , Haryana, Himachal Pradesh
and Uttar Pradesh throng this fair, which lasts for 15-20 days. Such is the fervour
and devotion that the advance bookings for the sacred scarf have already been
made till Circa 2082. |
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