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Hariyali Amavasya Fair

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11 Aug, 22 10:09
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-Ashok Mathur

Hariyali Amavasya Fair

Acelebrationisaway o f l i fe fo r Udaipurities. Fairs andfestivalsaretheoccasions for them to de-stress themselves and make merry. And there seems to be no better timeforenjoymentthantheend of the sweltering heat of the summer and the advent of the much-awaitedrefreshingrainy days. As the name indicates HariyaliAmavasyafallsonthe moonless night of the month of Sawan when the earth and Aravali hills are clad in a velvet green ‘hariyali’ sheet. About the beginning of the fairthereisa fascinatingstory. It is said that while passing throughDewaliandMotimagri area, Maharana Fatehsingh, who liked very much to visit places around Udaipur, saw that there was a small lake, the water of which was not being used. He thought of expanding the waterbody so that the water could be used for irrigation. He persuaded erstwhile Prince of England, the Duke of Connaught to lay the foundation. The lake was namedShivsagarandthemain dam was called Connaught Dam. However, later on, as desired by the Duke, it was called Fateh Sagar after the Maharana’s name. After the dam was completed the Maharana came to visit the waterbody on Hariyali Amavasya in a procession accompanied by his umraos and Sardars. In attendance weremusiciansandbands.To express their gratitude to the Maharana for building the beautiful dam, the public thronged to the place in large numbers. After giving ‘darshan’ to the public, the Maharana accompanied by MaharaniChandi,wentupthe neighboring hill to worship the highly revered Neemaj Mata. Onthewayback,theMaharani toldtheMaharanathatshehad enjoyed the fair immensely but only one day was not enough. She suggested that it should be a two-day event and on the second day, it should be open to only ladies so that they could enjoy themselves fully and more freely. Nowonder,theMaharanaliked her proposal, and since 1899 womenhaveafullday tothemselves tomakemerry.Halwais and shopkeepers of the town were called to the palace through a public announcement and given provisions from the storehouse of the palace.Theywereaskedtoset up shops in the fair. It is said that in the beginning a fair was held at Neemaj Mata and people used to go up the hill for ‘darshan’. Men, women, and children wore green dresses on this day. TheMaharanawouldgotothe residence of the Rajpurohit where there was a big feast. Sometimes there was also a feast in Saheliyon ki Badi. Big groups of from tribals distantplacesalsocometothe fair.Aadivasi youngmenwearing dhotis tucked up high, kurta, turbans, colored handkerchiefs tiedaroundtheneck, and sticks in hands throng to Udaipur. They are joined by girls and women dressed up in gaily colored attires. They comesinginganddancingwith Dhols. Not to be left behind Udaipurities also join the fun. Some come with their family while others with their friends. Fa te h s a g a r ‘ pa a l ’ a n d Saheliyon kiBadiroad vibrate with monsoon melodies. Entertainingthecrowdscanbe seen,folkartists.Thehundreds of stalls set up by the shopkeepers from different parts of the country have a huge varietyofitemsonsale.Toys, cosmetics, etc have a bumper sales. A local dish ‘malpua’, ‘gulab jamun’, ‘Jalebi’, ‘chat’ are favorites Bhuttas, maize corn, roasted on glowing coal sell like hotcakes. On the day following Hariyali Amavasya thefairisopenonly forwomen. Amillingcrowdofwomenboth rural and urban can be seen enjoying themselves fully on this occasion. Children are visibly excited riding Chakridolar while ladies get busy on other swings.Gettingtattooed in the fair is quite common, especially with village bellies. Fortourists,itisauniqueoccasion to closely watch a queer mix of the rural and urban culture of Mewar. Theyenjoythemselvesfully and their cameras keep clickingtocapturememoriesoftheir visit to Lake City.So popular has thefairbecomethat songs have been composed on it, sayingthatoneshouldprepare lunch early to go to the fair as there would be a big crowd there. Saheliyon ki Badi, a huge ornamental garden originally built as a relaxing area for the amusementoftheroyal ladies is flooded by people coming tothefair.Alotofpeople,especially from outside Udaipur who prefer a less crowded place go to Gulab Bagh, the spectacular rose garden built by Maharana Sajjan Singh. LocatedatopahillMotiMagari, overlooking the Fateh Sagar lake is visited by a large number of people. The adventurous persons climb up the Neemaj Mata hill to have the Devi’s Darshan. One of the most crowded places on the occasion is Sukhadia Circle, a favorite spot for foodies, where children enjoy boating in the colorful pedal boats. An eagerly awaited festival, especially by women, Hariyali Amavasa is an occasion when people from neighboring areas and Udaipur get together, go gay and enjoy themselves fully.


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यह खबर निम्न श्रेणियों पर भी है: Ashok Mathur
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