Nahan (Himachal Pradesh), Nov 18 (IANS): Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Sunday participated in six-day International Renuka Fair being organised in Sirmaur district.

He paid obeisance to the principal deity Lord Parshuram and participated in the procession. He also carried palanquin of the deity and worshipped at the temple of Renuka Mata and performed religious ceremonies.

The decades old annual Renuka fair besides being historic also has a religious importance. It marks the reunion of Lord Parshuram with his mother Mata Renuka once a year on the eve of 'Dashmi' and the people of the district take a holy dip in the religious Renuka lake on 'Prabodhini Ekadashi'.

As per tradition, the palanquin of Lord Parshuram is brought to Renuka from the ancient temple in Jamu Koti village and it departs after the performance of religious ceremonies, including a dip in the Renuka lake.

It's believed that if any Chief Minister or Governor misses the fair, he tends to lose his post before the next year's fair.

Temple priests of Lord Parshuram say they have a list of Chief Ministers and Governors who did not participate in the fair and lost their posts within a few months.

In the closing ceremony of the fair in 2009, then governor, the late Prabha Rau did not participate. Within a few months she was transferred to Rajasthan.

Likewise, former Chief Minister and Congress leader Virbhadra Singh could not participate in the inaugural ceremony of the fair in November 2007 due to some engagements. His party lost power in less than a month after that.

The week-long Renuka fair will conclude November 23 with devotees taking a holy dip in the Renuka Lake, some 35 km from district headquarters Nahan.