Come and celebrate the Holy.

If you are a native of India, you would know just how diverse it is, with one region being almost poles apart from the other. The nation is known to be home to a multitude of religious and personal beliefs, customs and practices, different kinds of foods, languages, etc. and you can see all this in the form of the various events and festivals that are celebrated. And the best part about India is that you don’t need to be part of a particular religious sect or group or a school of thought to participate in the festivities. One of the events which shed light on local practices is the Kaila Devi Fair in the Karauli district of Rajasthan.

The Kaila Devi Fair in Karauli happens to be one of the most revered occasions in Rajasthan. It is observed for about fifteen days at the Kaila Devi Temple which is located on the banks of the Kalisil river. While the temple is visited by many people every single day of the year, you would notice an increase in pilgrimage, by people from many different communities, during the period of the festival.

It is a Hindu temple in the village of Kailadevi, Karauli, Rajasthan, and is in the honour of Goddess Kaila Devi who is believed to be a form of both Mahalakshmi and Chamunda, the Goddesses of wealth and death respectively. The temple’s construction was started by Maharaja Gopal Singh in the year 1723 and it ended in 1730. In terms of architecture, the temple is made of marble and has a large courtyard where you would find a temple of Bhairon along with another small temple of Lord Hanuman.

The Fair is organized over a period of fifteen days (or a fortnight) during the month of Chaitra (between April and May). The principal objective of the event is to pay tribute to Kaila Devi. During this time, not just people from different parts of Rajasthan but also people from Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and other states come in large numbers to be a part of this celebration. Devotees offer fruits, nuts and sweets to the Goddess in order to be blessed and also get to witness dance and music performances by devotees in praise of the Goddess. A unique ritual observed at the time of the Fair is known as Kanak-Dandoti wherein people try to cover a distance of 15-20 kms to the temple by lying flat on the ground, drawing a line with their hands, getting up to cover that distance and repeating the same till they reach the temple.