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Thousands throng Jammu's annual Jhiri fair

     Jammu: Thousands thronged a nondescript village here to participate in a fair which celebrates the heroism of a legendary farmer. The week-long fair is celebrated in honour of Baba Jito Mal, a God-fearing farmer, in Jhiri, 14 kilometres from here. He is believed to have refused to submit to the unfair demands of his tyrannical landlord and committed suicide. The farmer was given a piece of barren land to grow crops. But once he turned the land cultivable, the landlord demanded return of the land and tried to divest him of the fruit of his labour. The poor farmer, according to popular belief, committed suicide in protest. The annual Jhiri Mela is held in his memory. "Devotees come here from far and wide. All these devotees you see here flock here due to respect for the fact that their ancestors had eaten those very food grains. On the full moon day, whether they be in Delhi, Haryana, Gujarat...they arrive here to pay obeisance to Babaji and participate in the eight-day long fair," said Ajay Singh, a devotee. The festival includes a procession of gods and goddesses, and a fair that lasts for eight days, providing entertainment and enjoyment to visitors. Besides the Jhiri fair, the state also also celebrates the Bahu fair at a temple near Jammu and the Purmandal fair which are equally popular in the region. These fairs also attract a large number of tourists to the state.
-Nov 9, 2006