The Vibhishan Mela, being organised at Kaithoon town in Kota district for the last 35 years, has commenced.
The fair is held every year on the occasion of Holi near Kainthoon’s Vibhishan Temple, which is believed to be the only temple in the country devoted to Vibhishan, the younger brother of demon king Ravana in the legendary epic Ramayana.
The fair is organised to commemorate Vibhishan, who chose the path of good over bad and sided with Lord Rama against his brother Ravana. “Just as Bhakt Prahlad followed the path of religion and not his evil father Hiranyakashyap, Vibhishan also worked for religion against his brother and demon king Ravana. So, people of Kaithoon organise Vibhishan Mela to commemorate Vibhishan, who helped in the victory of good over evil,” said Durgashankar Puri, the founder member of Vibhishan Mela Organising Committee and convener of Vibhishan Temple Trust Committee, while explaining the objective behind organising the fair.
The five-day fair began on Thursday with the burning of a 50-foot-high effigy of Hirankashyap, who was the father of Bhakt Prahalad, at the fair ground near Vibhishan Temple. The event was followed by a religious procession carried out next day from Vibhishan Dharmshala to Vibhishan Temple in the Kaithoon town while passing through different routes in the town. Several more cultural programmes including a poetic meet will be held in the coming days, said Puri.
An expert on the history of Kota, Firoz Ahmed claimed that the Vibhishan Temple is unique, as there is no other temple of the deity in the country. “Rural people from nearby areas gather for the Vibhishan Mela, where they not just entertain themselves, but also worship the deity,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}An expert on the history of Kota, Firoz Ahmed claimed that the Vibhishan Temple is unique, as there is no other temple of the deity in the country. “Rural people from nearby areas gather for the Vibhishan Mela, where they not just entertain themselves, but also worship the deity,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}There is a folklore associated with the Vibhishan Temple of Kaithoon. “As per the folklore, Lord Shiva and Hanuman had once asked Vibhishan to take him on pilgrimage to all four dhams (Hindu religious places) with a condition if Vibhishan would stop anywhere during the journey, all of them would turn into stones,” said Puri.
“So, when Vibhishan, while carrying Shiva and Hanuman in his ‘kaanwat’, stopped in the Kaithoon region, they all turned into stones. While Hanuman temple and Shiva temple came up in Rangbari area and Char Chauma area of Kota respectively, Vibhishan temple came into existence at Kaithoon town of Kota,” he added.