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Dewa beckons. Come all
Dewa Mela, a unique blend of faith, festivities and business, was kicked off amid fanfare on Sunday. Faith here cuts across religious lines and people from all religions and from around the globe visit the place all year. More so during the 15-day fair.
Dewa Mela, a unique blend of faith, festivities and business, was kicked off amid fanfare on Sunday. Faith here cuts across religious lines and people from
all religions and from around the globe visit the place all year. More so during the 15-day fair.
The mela also consists of a huge cattle and horse fair. The animal market is divided into two different sections – a cattle fair that includes animals like buffaloes and goats and the other selling horses, mules, ponies and donkeys. People from as far as Bihar and Maharashtra come here to trade in the animals. Demonstration of agricultural implements, machines, seed and fertilizers too is part of the fair.
The Dewa fair, which attracts pilgrims and visitors from all parts of the country to the mausoleum of the saint, gets into full swing with the ceremony of ‘chaadar’ presentation, falling on Monday. ‘Prasaad’ distribution will take place on Friday. Devotees place embroidered sheets or even cotton sheets on the tomb of Haji sahab and his father Haji Qurban Ali Shah. These sheets are carried in plates along with a bottle of ‘itra’, flowers, incense sticks and sweets.
Each year, an urs is held at the tomb in the month of Safar that witnesses qawwali recitals round-the-clock. Haji sahab organised urs of his father in the month of Kartik according to Hindu calendar and through this the culture of organising the big fair set in.
It is during the Kartik time that people get a break from agriculture work and get together for entertainment. Dewa Mela is also known as the Kartik Mela.
Cultural programmes at the fair include mushairas, kavi sammelan, music conference under a decked up pandal. The fair ends with brilliant display of fireworks.
Talking to Hindustan Times, secretary of the Haji Waris Ali Shah Mausoleum Trust Ghulam Waris Khan said, “Mela preparations are complete now. All the extra tents have been put in place for the visitors and about 400 volunteers have come forward to help in the management.
Besides, the district administration, Barabanki, has also deployed its force for the smooth running of the fair. The government has also improved the bus service. There are more than 100 free rooms within the tomb complex for the devotees and the visitors. The pilgrims are also provided vegetarian food in the ‘langar’.”
