THE PEOPLE

FAIRS

The district has a number of places of pilgrimage such as Audumbar, Brahmanal and Tung. They are visited by people at least once a year. Besides, there are number of places of religious importance where annual fairs are held. Fairs represent a peculiar feature of Indian culture. They are generally held in honour of certain deity or pir. People flock at these places to get a glimpse (darsan) of their deity or to seek relief from the tedium of their daily routine life. Following tables show the taluka-wise villages and towns in Sangli district where fairs [ Fairs also include Urus.] are held at least once a year—

TABLE No. 13

TALUKA-WISE PLACES OF FAIRS IN SANGLI DISTRICT

The fairs can very well he classified into jatras and yatras. Whereas jatra is a gathering of people for any purpose, yatra is necessarily a gathering of people for religious purposes at a place of pilgrimage or tirthaksetra. In this district Sangli, Tasganv, Tung and Brahmanal are important places of yatras. Places where jatras are held are too many to quote. The distinction hetween jatra and yatra is, however, very loose. Hence the term fair is used to cover both.

The following may he mentioned as the important fairs in Sangli district.

TABLE No. 14

IMPORTANT FAIRS IN SANGLI DISTRICT

TABLE No. 14—contd.

Most of the places where fairs are held are approachable by roads and have regular bus-stops. Some of them are on railway routes or to a greater part of their length accessible by trains. In a few cases, however, they are at long distance, sometimes to the extent of 10 to 12 miles and have to be walked down. Number of people attending fair differ from place to place according to its importance. In rural areas it generally ranges from 1,000 to 25,000 but in urban areas it may go even up to 1,00,000. The common deities in whose honour these fairs are held are Yallammadevi, Siddhesvai and Ganapati. The taluka-wise number of temples and mosques of particular deities are given in the accompanying tables viz., tables 15 and 16. At fair it is the usual practice of the people to make offerings to the deity in order to get their wish fulfilled. Flowers and coconuts are common offerings; but in rare cases even valuables are offered to the idol.

TABLE No. 15

TALUKA-WISE NUMBER OF TEMPLES AND MOSQUES, ETC., IN SANGLI DISTRICT

TABLE No. 16

TEMPLES OF PARTICULAR DEITIES (NOT GENERALLY FOUND ELSEWHERE ARE GIVEN TALUKA-WISE AS UNDER), SANGLI DISTRICT

Jath Taluka.—Brahmanath. Margubai, Vetalba, Virabhadra, Nagursiddha, Mahalingesvar, Bansenkari, Mallikarjun, Yallamadevi. Bankesvar, Kencaraya Dev, Sangamesvar, Sidramesvar.

Khanapur Taluka.—Jyotirling. Dhavaba Dev, Ambika Devi, Bhairavanath, Kalbhairav, Dongarai Devi, Dharmaraj, Revansiddha, Cauranganath, Yamai Devi, Caundesvari, Lingesvar, Uttaresvar, Sagaresvar, Basavesvar, Satavai Devi. Dhavalaling Dev, jogesvar Dev, Banesvar, Jugai Devi, Bhimasankar, Bhojaling, Cakresvar.

Miraj Taluka.—Basavesvar, Sangamesvar, Yallama Devi, Yamai Devi, Brahmanath, Kanakesvar, Margubai Devi, Janubai, Hariscandresvar.

Shirala Taluka.—Jugai Devi, Kalama Devi, Navalai Devi, Ninai Devi, Vaghesvari, Trimbaka Devi. Asubai Devi, Kharesvar, Vakai Devi, Kalesvar, Atmaling Dev, Cincesvar, Mangesvar, Caundesvar, Gorakhanath.

Tasganv Taluka.—Margubai, Bahiroba, Bannasappa, Mayappa, Jyotirling, Padmadevi, Sri Kusumesvar, Brahmanath, Nagesvar, Kalama Devi, Ankalesvar, Yallamadevi, Sri Jitsiddha, Revansiddha Honai Devi, Narsoba, Kasi-visvesvar, Rsabha Dev, Harakesvar, Uttaresvar, Laka-mesvar, Caundesvari Devi.

Walwa Taluka.—Vatesvar, Kanakesvar, Yamai Devi, Mallikarjun, Machindranath, Yallamadevi, Kesavaraj Dev, Pasupati, Ekavira Devi.

The duration of the fair is generally one day. In certain cases, however, the celebration may last for ten to fifteen days. The Ganapati festival of Sangli, for example, starts on Bhadra-pad Sud Pratipada, and lasts for about a week. So also is the festival at Tasganv. Festivals at certain other places too have longer durations in the same way.

The usual form of rejoicing at fairs is shopping, eating, drinking and enjoying the tamasas. A great bustle and commotion is sure to he met with at this time. Shops of various kinds dot the small spot of the village fair and people, young and old alike, rush in and out of them, busy, making purchases. Important among these shops are those of sweets, readymade garments, cosmetics and stationery articles. Hotels and tea-shops also abound. People coming mostly from rural areas are in gay mood and spend lavishly to their hearts' content.

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