Kashmir fairs and festivals

Located in the northern most region of India,
Kashmir is known as a paradise on earth. It is a state where there are no limits in god’s creation and is well maintained by the Kashmiri citizens. In India tourism, Kashmir remains to the most visited holiday destination by domestic and international tourists. The unmatched beauty and the unique fairs and festivals of the enchanting hill station are worth experiencing. Such diverse culture and traditions of Jammu and Kashmir provide evidence to be the real manifestation of the state to the outside world. Fairs and festivals of Kashmir are celebrated with pocketful of joy and fanfare.

Each of the festivals in here is celebrated by people of all religion together. The state Jammu and Kashmir has three major regions; Jammu has a majority of Hindu, Kashmir by Muslims and Ladakh by the pure Buddhists. All these three religions live a happy life in respect which shows the way of living as a brotherhood. The celebration that takes place in the state during these festivals is something that cannot be expressed neither can be described. The citizen of Kashmir enjoys numbers of cultural events round the year and some of the major fairs and festivals in  paradise on the earth are discussed below.

Lohri: 

During this Lohri festival the people rejoice on the harvesting of the winter crop which is celebrated on the 13^th of January. It is the end of the winter season and a welcome to the beginning of spring season. In Hindu Lohri is known as the Paush or Magh which is luck as it makes the entry of the Sun (surya) in northern hemisphere. It is celebrated in night time where people gather and make bonfires. Chajja dance is performed by young boys on the streets with colorful flowers and papers with the beats of drums.

Jhiri Mela: The Jhiri Mela is held yearly in Jhiri Village which is located at a distance of about 20 kilometers from Jammu. It is in the memory of poor farmer named Jitu Baba, who committed suicide due to the unfair demands of his landlords. The Mela takes place from the last week of October and early November as a protest against the mayhems of the landlords. During this Mela, the followers of the Jitu Baba gather here in Jhiri Mela from every nook of the North India.

Baisakhi Festival:

Baisakhi Festival is a popular Sikh festival and the event is celebrated on the 13^th of April annually. Due to the majority of Sikhs, the festival is celebrated wholeheartedly and it is for the start of harvesting season of North India. It is a great time for shopping for local and traditional items. Another important thing that makes the day more famous is that, it is the birthday of the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh.

Hemis Festival:

It is an important festival of Ladakh region as it is celebrated in honor to the birth anniversary of Guru Padmasambhava. The festival falls on the fifth month of 9^th, 10^th and 11^th day in Tibetan calendar. It is believed that it is the day when the Guru Padmasambhava defeated demons. The Monks (Lamas) perform a ritual dance depicting the victory of god over demons. The beat of the drums and the long horns takes your breath away.

Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Azha:

these two festivals are the most known and prominent festivals of Muslims in the state J&K. The festival is hugely celebrated in Kashmir and as well as in some parts of Jammu. During these festivals people have to offers six times namaz instead of five times. If you really want to explore the real fun and celebrations of ID than, make your visit to Kashmir where your dream comes true. Eid-ul-Fitr marks end in the fasting month of Ramadan. Muslims wear new clothes and attend grand feasts. Eid-ul-Azha festival is also equally important as it is famous for Qurbani (Sacrifice) where people sacrifices goats, sheep etc.