BILASPUR

All these temples of different deities have become pilgrim centres for the Hindus who go there from even much beyond the borders of the district. The religious fairs are quite a few and the most important is the Shrawan Ashtmi fair at Naina Devi temple where about a lakh persons, Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims from Punjab, Haryana and even Uttar Pradesh rush along with the residents of Himachal Pradesh. This is the largest religious mela in the State.

Some of the other religious fairs are Markand fair known as Baisakhi fair, Guga fair at Gherwin lasting for eight days and Bharnot fair at Bharnot village where a stone image known as Devta isworshipped by the pilgrims. Once women only had the privilege of worship of the Devta at Bharnot village and to have the Baisakhi bath at village Gangnon in Bachhretu Pargana. The temple of Siva is the attraction. The mela is ancient. It is said that even in summer a bath at the tank makes the man shiver, so cold is the water.

The Bada Dev fair has a legend. About five thousand years ago, so the tradition holds, Pandawas lived in Hastinapur. Once they were in exile, and wandered in parts of Himachal Pradesh. There are places where these Pandawas are said and believed to have taken shelter or rest. One of such places is Bari-ki-Dhar (Bari hill).

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