Dadri mela
Dadri mela is an annual festival celebrated in Dadri, Ballia district of Uttar Pradesh. It is believed to have been started 5000 years ago[1] and is currently organized by the Balia Municipal Corporation. The mela is associated with Hindu rishi Bhrigu and is named after his student rishi Dadar. it is believed to be started after the joining of Sarju and Ganga by rishi Dadar. The mela is held for one month in two phases, first phase is 10 days before Kartika Purnima and is the Second Largest Market for cattle and animal trade.[2] The second phase is started on Kartika Purnima with evening Maha aarti.[2]
Story
According to Pauranic legends, when Rishi Bhrigu attacked Vishnu, he felt great remorse. To repent for his sins, he came back to Earth and started Prāyaścitta. During this time, due to his mastery in Jyotish Shastra, he learned that the river Ganga was going to dry up in the future. To prevent this, he asked his student, Rishi Dardr, to merge the Sarayu and Ganga rivers. Obeying his teacher's command, Rishi Dardr did so. The people at the confluence of the two rivers were overjoyed and celebrated the day as a festival. Since then, the mela has been celebrated annually.[2]
History
The mela is believed to have started in Pauranic times and is often believed to be 5000 years old.[3] it has been celebrated at the same place but the animal fair and meena bazar were added later possibly during Mughal king Akbar's time.[2]
Events
- Animal Fair: held 10 days before the Kartika Purnima, the animal fair at Dadri mela is the main attraction for businesses and brings people from as far as Haryana and Rajasthan. It is the second largest Animal Fare in India and is known for it's unique animals.
- Main mela: on Kartika Purnima the main Dadri mela is started with the Mahaaarti in the evening. Meena Bazar and the rides for enjoyment usually start in that period.[4]
- Bhartendu Manch: annual Kavi sammelan and different events are organized by the government for promotion of culture and arts.[5]
References
- ^ "बलिया: 5000 साल पहले शुरू हुआ था ददरी का मेला, अगले वर्ष से सरकारी मेले के रूप में मनाया जाएगा". Zee News. 17 November 2022. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
- ^ a b c d Mishra, Raghavendra (2020). Mela Parmparasiddh Janmadhyam (in Hindi). Bharti Prakashan. pp. 24–25. ISBN 9789388019774.
- ^ Bharti, Ajay (17 November 2022). "Ballia: 7 हजार साल से ज्यादा पुराना है ददरी मेले का इतिहास, हर साल कार्तिक महीने में आयोजन". ABP News. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
- ^ Pandey, Rajkumar (28 November 2023). "बलिया का ददरी मेला: परंपरा और संस्कृति की चाशनी में डूबी 'जिलेबी' के साथ मेल- मुलाकात, बतकही का महीने भर का अड्डा". News 18. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
- ^ Rai, Manish (2 December 2023). "आखिर क्यों लगता है ऐतिहासिक ददरी मेले में भारतेंदु कला मंच? जानें इतिहास". News 18. Retrieved 10 July 2024.