The historic state fair held on both sides of the Tigri Garh Ganga flowing between Amroha and Hapur districts of western Uttar Pradesh has started on Monday. This time more than 40 lakh devotees are expected to reach the fair site. The police administration has made tight security arrangements in the fair. A large number of police force has been deployed for security. The devotees reaching the fair site stay in camp for about a week and do various kinds of frolic on the sand of Mother Ganga.
This fair, held on the sandy land of Mother Ganga since Treta Yug, is known as Ardh Kumbh in western Uttar Pradesh. The identity of the fair is associated with Shravan Kumar of Treta Yug and the Pandavas during the Mahabharata period. In Treta Yug, when Shravan Kumar had set out for pilgrimage carrying his blind parents on his shoulders, Shravan Kumar stopped at this place on the banks of Ganga on Ekadashi of Kartik Shukla Paksha and stayed here for about four nights.
Since when has the tradition of Deepdaan been going on?
During this time, thousands of people had gathered here to see the spirit of service of Shravan Kumar’s parents. The fair started being held here from that time. The history of the fair is also linked to the Mahabharata period. During the Mahabharata period, Lord Shri Krishna had the Pandavas do this Deepdaan for the peace of the souls of the soldiers killed in the war between the Kauravas and the Pandavas. The tradition of Deepdaan has been going on since that time.
Shri Krishna had brought the Pandavas to the fort
When someone in someone’s family passes away, Deepdaan is done for him. It is mentioned in religious texts that the Pandavas were distraught about the countless relatives and brave warriors killed in the Mahabharata war. They had developed a state of alienation from the throne. Seeing this, Lord Krishna started worrying, then Lord Krishna brought the Pandavas to Garh in the month of Kartik and camped on the banks of Ganga for several days and made the Pandavas perform various religious rituals including bathing, since then this fair has great importance.
