Chamba, Jul 24 (IANS): Himachal Pradesh Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar on Sunday inaugurated the annual Minjar Fair, a centuries-old traditional Hindu fair that symbolises the blossoming of maize in this historical town located on the banks of the river Ravi.
The week-long fair opened with the hoisting of the Minjar flag. (The Minjar refers to silk tassles that glow like maize blossoms in the sun).
Speaking on the occasion, the Governor said the historical Minjar Fair has its own identity.
Expressing happiness over the preservation and promotion of the rich folk art and culture and maintaining social harmony, he stressed upon the appropriate inclusion of modernity in the successful organisation of the fair.
Praising the people for preserving the state's rich cultural heritage, he said, "Chamba has a rich folk culture and this culture is being protected by the people since time immemorial."
"The state has kept its traditional culture alive despite the modern influences and this is a great achievement, the credit for which goes to various fairs and festivals celebrated in the entire state," said the Governor.
He also mentioned the world acclaimed artifacts of the district -- Chamba Rumal and Chamba Chappal.
He said Chamba is getting fame due to Geographical Indication (GI) tag of the both artifacts.
Earlier, the people of the area, mainly farmers, gathered at the historic Lakshmi Narayan and Raghuvira temples and offered holy Minjars.
The fair is associated with the monsoon, in which the farmers pray for heavy rain for a good harvest. The fair will conclude with the immersion of Minjars in the Ravi river.
The fair is believed to have first started in the 10th century to mark the victory of king Sahila Varma over the king of Kangra.
The defeated king had presented blossoms of maize and paddy to Varma.
Another tale has it that a sage in the Champavati temple on the banks of the Ravi performed a week-long 'yajna' that changed the course of the river. This enabled the people to visit the Hari Rai temple across the river.
During the fair, people adorn themselves with Minjars on their colourful costumes and pray for timely rain and a bumper crop.
The embroidery on the Minjars is done mostly by Muslims.