The popular Chappar Mela is organized every year at Chappar, Ludhiana. People mainly worship snake embodiment of Guga in this fair. The fair falls on the fourth day of the month of Bhadas every year. It is believed that, the chap par fair was started around 150 years back, just by small congregation of devotees and these days the number of people attending the fair has risen to millions.
Another fair with the name as minor chappar fair is also held at the same place. The special trend of scooping the land (7 times) is also practiced in this fair. People consider digging of land will bring Gugga Pir to prevent them against snakes. The fair is full of music, fun and dance. The fair has emerged as a grand festival in past few decades.
Stories behind the origin of Chappar Mela
There are many stories behind the origin of Chappar Mela. Following two are the most important ones:
Centuries ago, a boy and a snake took birth together in a family at chappar village. Both were so close to each other that if one suffered a pain the other used to cry. One day the mother of the child went to the fields laying the child alone on a cot. As the day was scorching hot, snake prevented the child from sun by stretching its hood over him. Seeing this, a villager killed the snake to protect child from snake bite. Due to high level of intimacy between both of them, the child also died immediately after the death of snake leaving clouds of sorrow in the family. The family members worshipped Guga and Sidh, deeply lost in the sorrow of their son. And a he-goat was also left there to mark the place of worship by striking at a particular place.
The place is renowned as Mari Guga where people pay their homage to Guga every year, on the occasion of chappar fair.
The story for the second fair called “Minor Chappar Fair”-
The maharaja at the time of onset of the 20th century had banned the celebrations of Chappar Fair on a complaint by local farmers. But banning of the fair brought curse to the place and many horses started dying bafflingly. The mystery was solved and the misfortune stopped only on the announcement of another fair called “Minor Chappar Fair”, which is organized after the main Chappar fair.
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