Six-day Renukaji fair starts Thursday

Six-day Shri Renukaji international fair--the biggest annual congregation of people in Himachal's Sirmour district-- commences here on Thursday. Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur will skip the inaugural ceremony, breaking almost six-decade-old tradition, due to a global investors' meet.

Shimla:The six-day 'Shri Renukaji Fair' will commence here on Thursday with the arrival of the palanquin of Lord Parashuram from the ancient temple in Jamu Koti village to the bank of Renuka lake.

Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur will skip the inaugural ceremony, breaking almost six-decade-old tradition, due to a global investors' meet.

Dr R K Paruthi, Deputy Commissioner and chairman of Shri Renukaji Development Board said Himachal Speaker Rajiv Bindal would inaugurate the fair and perform all rituals.

He said the CM would preside over the concluding ceremony on November 12.

He said the CM would perform the traditional puja before taking part in the departure ceremony of the deities and lead the procession by shouldering the palanquin of Lord Parshuram.

He said preference would be given to local folk artistes and famous Himachali Singer Kuldeep Sharma would perform on the November 12 evening.

The fair, said to be a 5,000-year-old tradition, starts with the arrival of the palanquin of Lord Parshuram on the bank of the Renukaji lake.

The International Shree Renuka Fair starts from November 7 is the legendary symbol of the union of mother-son duo.

History of Shri Renuka Ji Fair

This fair is one of the ancient fairs of Himachal Pradesh's Shimla and every year it is celebrated from the tenth day of the bright fortnight of Kartik month to the full moon, in the famous shrine of North India, Shri Renuka Ji.

The natural lake located here is called the life-sized shadow of Maa Renuka.

Shree Renuka Ji fair is a unique event of reverence of the mother's love for the son.

In this fair, which lasts for five days, all the local deities around this place join the mother-son union in their palanquin.

Many religious rituals, cultural programs, havan, yagna, are organized in this fair.

Member of the royal family and former MLA, Kanwar Ajay Bahadur Singh, told that the international Shree Renuka Ji fair symbolizes the union of Mata Renuka Ji and his son Lord Parshuram.

On the day of Dashami, Lord Parshuram reaches Sri Renuka by a palanquin to meet his mother Renuka.

Lord Parshuram's palanquin first reaches the banks of the river Giri were he is welcomed by members of the royal family.

According to a legend, King Sahastrabahu once reached the ashram of sage Jamadagni. Sahastrabahu and his soldiers were well received.

He insisted on taking Kamdhenu cow owned by Jamadagni.

Sage Jamadagni explained to him that he has Kubera Ji's Kamathenu cow and thus he cannot hand it over to anyone.

Angry upon hearing this, Sahastrabahu killed Maharishi Jamadagni.

On hearing the news of his son's death, mother Renuka sadly jumped into River Ram Sarovar.

All while this, Lord Parashuram was engaged in penance on Mahendra; the mountain peak, but with the power of yoga, he realized the whole event and his austerity was broken.

Angry Parshuram went out to find Sahastrabahu.

Lord Parashuram killed Sahastrabahu along with his army.

According to another legend, Maharishi Jamadagni used to live in austerities.

Renuka, wife of Maharishi Jamadagni was a religious and dedicated wife.

They used to drink the water of the Ganges every day and used to bathe in it. His wife Renuka used to bring water from the river in a raw pitcher.

Due to the persistence of Mata Renuka, the soil of the raw pitcher never gave in.

One day when Mata Renuka was coming from the lake with water, she stopped over to have a look at a Gandharva couple indulged in love-making. She got late to reach home.

Sage Jamadagni became apprehensive about Renuka's saintliness when he learned the reason for the delay. Sage Jamdagni became enraged.

He ordered his 100 sons to kill the mother Renuka but all of them refused.

Parashurama killed his mother by obeying his father but asked his father for a boon to bring alive his mother once again.

Then mother Renuka promised that she would come to meet her son Lord Parshuram on this day each year for one and a half hours.

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