The fair of Bhadar Kali Devi (وی دیبھدر کالی) was an important and major festive and
ritual activity of the old Lahore, the centric venue of the fair was Mandir Bhadar Kali Devi
at, then, outskirt of Lahore; Niaz Beg. According to Syed Muhammad Latif, who compiled
his classical history book on Lahore in the 1890s, the Kali Devi or Mandir Bhadar fair was
one of the largest festivals in Lahore, even though it was celebrated in the hottest month of
June, he reported that at least 30,000 devotees used to participate in the fair at temple (Latif,
1892/2010, 273 and 2276). The Gazetteer of Lahore District (1883-84) (henceforth GLD)
was compiled in 1880s and number of participants is given 30, 000 to 60,000, double to
Syed Muhammad Latif (Punjab Government, 1896/2006, 78). Kanniyha Lal was
contemporary of Syed Muhammad Latif, Kanniyha Lal recorded in his work that the
duration of the fair was one day and one night in the month of Jeth (a month of the Punjabi
calendar) (Lal, 1884/2012, 230). Both writers give an account of the fair that a sizeable
temporary bazar was established for sweets, toys, bangles etc. water, sharbat
A drink made of hashish and sometimes milk and almonds are added to enrich the flavour
Ancient Punjab – Volume 10, 2022 56 was distributed to beat the heat.
There were least arrangements of shadow so the devotees had to arrange their own canopies or tents. The fair was attended by Hindus and the
Muslims as well from Lahore, Amritsar and surrounding areas (Latif, 1892/2010, 273 &
276 and Lal, 184/2012, 230). Kanniyha recorded that in the temple there was no statue of
any deity (Lal, 184/2012, 229). Further he writes that one (a small) temple attributed to
Kali Devi was in Lahore (in mohalla Lakhpat Rai) where those devotees visited during the
festival who could not have ability to attend the fair at outskirt of Lahore at Niaz Beg (Ibid.,
135-36). John Campbell Oman sketches the view of devotees towards the temple that the
main road he was driving on was crowded with visitors to the fair. Visitors rode in bull
carts, dog carts, and ekkas to Bhadarkali, while others rode in hired hackney carriages
(Oman, 1908, 203). It was the most passionate festival of the town however in 1960s
Masood Nizami recorded that then the temple of Bhadar Kali was deserted and the fair had
been elapsed (Nizami, 1962, 766)
.
CHERRIYOUN KA MELA: THE BAMBOOS’ FAIR
Cherriyoun ka Mela (literally fair of sticks/poles وں کا میلہچھڑی) is another lost fair
of the old Lahore. Lahore is one of the towns of South Asia with great number of shrines
of saints. The ‘shrine culture’ is unique attribution of Lahore and fairs and festivals can be
labelled as by-product of this shrine culture.
In Lahore outside of Masti Gate is a shrine of Shah Madar which was once famous
for Cherriyoun ka mela. Every summer, the festival was celebrated at Shah Madar’s shrine,
and devotees would come with their bamboos to perform certain stunts. Latif recorded the
mela in 1890s and he elucidates that the participants came with their extra-long bamboo to
perfume tricks, the bamboo was erected on palm, one finger, on teeth or on the head (Latif,
1892/2010, 374). Masood Nizami explains that some bamboos had height of three stories
house. The main objective of the game was to erect the bamboo straight in the air. Masood
Nizami claims that the fair halted to celebrate due to fighting and stabbing the knives
(Nizami, 1962, 764-65).
DUSSEHRA: THE REMEMBRANCE FAIR OF RAMA CHANDRA
The Dussehra was an unparalleled festival of old pluralistic Lahore. It was one of
the longest festivals of old days; a festival of a week long. The Dussehra is attributed to
great Hindu epic Ramayan. The festival commemorates the Hindu avatar Rama Chandra’s
exile, during which his wife Sita was kidnapped by Ravan, the king of Ceylon or Lanka
(modern Sri Lanka). Rama, with the assistance of his brother Lakshmana and a mighty
devotee named Hanuman, battled Ravana, killed him, and freed Devi Sita. According to
Talbot and Kamran It drew a large crowd to witness the spectacle of the effigies being
burned at dusk (Talbot & Kamran, 2016, 136).
One-horse carriage Ancient Punjab – Volume 10, 2022 57
The festival had been celebrated with great enthusiasm by the local Hindus. S.M.
Latif records, in 1890s, that the festival was celebrated in Lahore in the month of October
every year for eight days in the parade ground (now Iqbal Park) in north of Lahore Fort
(Latif, 1892/2010, 376). Every night, during the festivities the young from the town were
used to perform Ramlila or drama depicting the exile with different characters of Rama
Chandra, Devi Sita, Lakshmana, Hanuman and Ravana (Nizami, 1962, 766). On the final
day of the festival, the giant-sized effigies of Rama and Ravan were brought to parade
ground with a great procession (from Heera Mandi (red light area of Lahore) to parade
ground) (Ibid.) and as the last celebration the gigantic effigy of Ravan was put on fire with
the great noise of fire crackers (Punjab Government, 1896/2006, 80 and Latif, 1892/2010,
376). However, Masood Nizami (1962, 766) adds one more event that before to set fire on
Ravana’s effigy, Hanuman was privileged to put Lanka (made of paper and bamboos) on
fire. Latif and GLD both records that the festival was patronized by Maharaja Ranjit Singh,
he was used to receive nazar (tribute/gift) form his followers and in return the faithful
followers were presented khilat (dress of honour) (Latif, 1892/2010, 376 & Punjab
Government, 1896/2006, 61). Therefore, the festival has importance in different
perspectives of culture, religion and economy. The festival has also been buried in depth
of past, new Lahorites are not witness of the colourful festivities.
DIWALI: THE FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS
Diwali is one of Hinduism’s most important religious festivals which is celebrated
in Ashvina and Karttika months. The festival’s name derives from the Sanskrit term
Dipavali, which means “row of lights” and refers to the lights that are lit on the new moon
to welcome Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth (Raza, 2008, 75). In Lahore the Diwali mela
was used to be held after some days of Dussehra in October. One of the reasons for the
celebration was to commemorate Rama Chandra’s return to Ayodhya after a fourteen-year
exile. The devotees were used to decorate their house with diayas and Anarkali Bazar was
also be used to decorate with lights or diayas (Nizami, 1962, 767). It is worthy to keep in
mind that, before the partition, most traders or shopkeepers of Anarkali were the Hindus or
Sikhs and now the situation is entirely changed, religious landscape is changed so the
festival light has been blurred in Lahore. Dr. Raza, a young historian, recorded in 2008 the
Diwali celebrations in Lahore. He writes that the deputy administrator of the Evacuee Trust
Property Board, led the celebration in Lahore. Baghat Lal Khokhar read a Ramayan katha
(verse) and performed aarati, a ritual in which the Lord’s form is symbolically illuminated.
Fireworks meant the end of the ceremony. The Diwali celebrations in 2008 were attended
by Hindus, Parsis, Sikhs, Christians, and Muslims (Raza, 2008, 76). Interestingly the
Diwali is primarily a Hindu festival but it seems that not even a single Hindu attended the
festival, loss of the pluralism in the modern Lahore.