Changing Hairstyles of Bollywood Divas...Page-44 SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2014 INTERNET EDITION : www.dailyexcelsior.com/magazine Truth and righteousness ....Page-33 Commemorating Dogra Folk Hero’s sacrifice Lalit Gupta Notwithstanding failure of the state government to pass the Baba Jitto Shrine Board Act which would have ensured JHIRI MELA proper management and governance of the sacred shrine of Bawa Jitto, the centuries old Jhiri Mela, held to commemo- rate his supreme sacrifice, continues to witness an upward trend of pilgrims and tourists. Despite the token involvement of Tourism Department in promoting one of the most attended fairs in Jammu and Kash- mir, every year, few days before the Jhiri mela which is held on scared day of Kartik Purnima, all roads leading to the oth- erwise clam and quite village of Jhiri in Marh block of Jam- mu, come alive with constant flow of devotees. From nooks and corners of Jammu region as well as other states, men, women and children, in small and large groups, riding all kinds of public and private transports arrive here to worship and pay homage to 16th century Dogra folk hero Bawa Jitto. After fair of Pushkar, Jhiri Mela, is one of the most attend- ed fairs in north India, which brings together more than five to seven lakh people to Jhiri village near Shamachak, some 22 kilometers from Jammu city on Akhnoor-Poonch road. To be held on November 6, this year, the Jhiri Mela, which commemorate the supreme sacrifice of a simple and honest Dogra farmer who preferred to kill himself in protest than agree to the unjust demands of the local landlord to part with his right full share of crop, is a living manifestation of power vibrant folk- life in this age of rapid urbanization and globalization. Such is importance of this sacred spot of village Jhiri, that it has acquired the status of a thirtha for the local as well as outside communities. The Samadhi of Bawa Jitto, a symbol of his supreme sacrifice which he made some 550 years ago, through passage of time has acquired an aura of sacred- ness. It stands surrounded by many other religious struc- tures which have been built in phases by devotees includ- ing local rajas, dewans, wazirs and rich persons. Thus the place and its environs have emerged as a destination of pil- dinarily good yield, he arrived at Bawa's field along with his thank or entreat the Bawa for his continuing protection and have also been de-silted so that the devotees can take the grimage tourism. men and asked them to lift three fourth of the crop and leave blessings. One other important ritual associated with Bawa's bath properly. In present times, the Jhiri mela has undoubtedly emerged only a quarter with Jit Mal. shrine at Jhiri, is the ritual of taking of holy dip in Baba Da Wasim Raja Khan, BDO and Deputy Mela Officer, said as an important tourist attraction. Few days before the fair When all requests to the landlord to follow the terms of Talab which is known to have miraculous power of curing that the recent auction of shops etc has resulted in a quan- mela, the Jhiri village starts donning a festive look. Set up the agreement fell on deaf ears, Bawa Jitto who was left with skin diseases and also blessing the childless mother with tum jump of revenue as compared to last year's revenue of local as well as outsiders, a huge market comes up at the no solution and means of help, uttered last words: 'sukki children. rupees 35 lakhs, this year's auction of shops has yielded near site of the Mela. The shops, stalls and kiosks selling sweets kanak nain khayaan mehtya, dinna ratt ralayi' (Oh Mehta, Mela Arrangements: Led by SDM, Sunaina Mehta, this half a crore rupees. Looking at the upward trend of pilgrims like jalebies, pakoras, all sorts of wares; pottery, vases, uten- don't eat raw wheat, let me mix my blood in it'), and stabbed year's Jhiri Mela Management Team is laying greater empha- which as per rough estimate is likely to cross seven lakhs, sils, farming implements, clothes, bangles, souvenirs, hair himself while sitting on the heap of crop and leaving all grains sis on sanitation and free flow of pilgrims during the nine-day all out efforts to being made are make the mela as a viable adornments, toys to books on Bawa Jitto and other folk drenched red with his blood. long mela. Talking to Excelsior Sunaina Mehta, who is also platform for the economic development of local communities deities, witness great rush of customers. Umpteen numbers Later, Bua Kori with help of their pet dog Kalu, located daughter of the soil and belongs to Jhiri, said that in order to and also to make visit of devotees and tourists to the mela of entertainment stalls, merry-go-rounds, slides, maut ka her father's dead body which had been hidden in the Simbal ensure proper sanitation during the mela, other than 180 as comfortable and memorable as possible", he said. kuaan (in which a motor biker rides up the walls of a wood- tree trunk by the goons of Mehta. She then lit the pyre and functional toilets with 24 hours water supply, 10 pre-fabricat- Commenting upon the government bandobast for the en well) and rural sports like dangal (wrestling) also form an important feature of the fair. burnt herself with her father. It is said afterwards a fierce rain ed syntax toilets have been installed for convenience of the mela, local cultural activist lamented that that other than put- Legend: According to folklore, the Bawa, called as Jit storm raged the area and the heap of blood strained grains pilgrims. "To ensure that the mela ground remains clean, ting of few posters and banners during the days of the mela, Mal, was an honest and truthful farmer. A Brahmin and devo- was washed away. All those people and even the birds, who more than 40 large dust bins have been put at various spots. the involvement of Tourism Department in promoting sacred tee of Mata Vaishno Devi and Raja Mandalik, he used to live had partaken those grains suffered from various afflictions, Amechanism of regularly lifting of the garbage from dust bins shrine of Baba Jitto at Jhiri as a pilgrimage tourism destina- in Aghar village near Katra, Vaishno Devi. including diseases, untimely deaths, misfortunes and 'yatrs'. and its disposal at a far off selected site has also been tion was negligible. They also raised their concern about Fed up with the unfriendly attitude of his aunt Jojan, who Realizing it was the wrath of the holy soul, they not only asked ensured by roping in municipal officials of urban local bod- deployment of less number of police personnel to ensure even threatened the life of his seven year daughter Bua Kori, for forgiveness by worshiping him but also made it manda- ies of Kour, Akhnoor, Chowki Choura and others", she said. proper security during the mela. Jit Mal decided to leave the village and go to his friend, Iso tory on their future generations to venerate Bawa Jitto and SDM, Suanaina Mehta, said that to ensure free flow While various state agencies are yet to wake up to draw Megh at Kahnachak Where, Mehta Bir Singh, the feudal lord pay annual homage at his shrine at Jhiri. movement of pilgrims, the shops will be put up at a distance and put into operation a comprehensive plan for the proper of the Ambgrota, upon Jit Mal's request gave him a piece of Since ancient times, the members of local and outside from the main shrine. Similarly langars, which earlier stood development of Baba Jitto shrine as a pilgrimage destination, barren land only after signing an agreement, that he would communities, who worship Bawa Jitto as a kuldevta (family scattered, now would put be put up as clusters on the periph- from the point of view of the dynamics of folklore, Jhiri Mela give Mehta one-fourth of his produce. deity) other than making their hazari on kartik Purnima day, ery of the mela ground. which also known as 'Farmer's Festival', continues to play its Jit Mal worked hard day and night and transformed the also come here throughout the year to pay obeisance on "Water requirement for drinking and sanitation purposes pivotal role as an extended moment of significant transfer of barren land into a lush green field which subsequently yield- occasions of important events in their families like marriage, had been ensured by round the clock pumping station. The heritage, when next generation rises to receive, and go for- ed a luxuriant crop. As soon as, Bir Singh got news of extraor- birth of child, mundan (tonsuring ceremony) or simply to bathing ghats which had been clogged due to recent floods, ward, to make possible the continuity of culture and tradition. CAPTAIN DIWAN SINGH PASSES INTO HISTORY Col J P Singh, Retd named as Raghu Partap Hill. He was awarded Highness is anguished because none of the mentioned-in-despatches for this gallant action. ADC has volunteered to accompany him on his Capt Diwan Singh, known to major part of He was again awarded Mention-in-Despatches leaving the state. Hearing this he got his resig- Northwest India as ADC to Maharaja Hari Singh, in Poonch in December same year, wherein, as nation typed from the PA and put it on Mahara- the last ruler of Princely State of Jammu and Company Commander with 80 men, he grap- ja's feet.