The Shamlaji Fair, also known as the Kartik Purnima Fair is held during the month of November, every year. This fair is held in Shamlaji, about 80 kms from Ahmedabad. The Shamlaji Temple is a renowned Vaishnav shrine, and the deity housed therein is known by various names as Gadadhar, bearer of the mace and Shaksi Gopal. The Shamlaji Fair is celebrated for about two weeks. About 200,000 people of all communities and castes including the Garasia and Bhil tribes visit the fair. The visitors come here from the adjoining districts and from Rajasthan. Besides visiting the deity in the temple, they also take a bath in the river Meshwo. The visitors usually come in groups, and sing devotional songs, carrying religious banners.
Devotees belonging to various castes and communities including the Garasias and Bhils throng this festival. Apart from a darshan of the deity in the temple, the pilgrims consider a bath in the river Meshwo essential. These pilgrims come in groups, singing devotional songs and carry religious banners to have an audience of the deity at the Shamlaji Temple. The fair is also popular with the Bhil tribes, who have great reverence for Shamlaji, referred as ‘Kalio Bavji’ – the dark divinity. The Shamlaji mela is famous for the bath in the Nagdhara kund and the centuries old traditions.
History
There are three very interesting legends behind the creation of this temple.
- According to one, Lord Brahma once embarked on a journey to find out the best tirtha (sacred site) on the earth. After seeing a number of places, he came to Shamlaji, which he liked the most and performed penance there for a thousand years. Lord Shiva, who was pleased with him, asked him to perform a yajna (ritual). At the beginning of the yajna, Lord Vishnu manifested himself in the form of Shamlaji, and was enshrined at this place.
- Another legend has it that Vishwakarma, the architect of the Gods, constructed this temple in one night, but as it was morning by the time he completed it, he could not take it with him and had to return leaving it here.
- According to the third story, an Adivasi found the idol of Lord Shamlaji while ploughing his land. He worshipped it by lighting a lamp everyday and was blessed for his faith by having an abundant yield in his farm. Learning of this, a Vaishnava merchant built the temple and installed the idol therein, which was later beautified by the Idar rulers. More recently, a prominent business family further renovated this temple.
Interesting facts
Numerous temples in ruins, ancient brick-work and scattered idols are found at Shamlaji which show that since ancient times it has been a popular and important center of pilgrimage on the highway between Gujarat and Rajasthan. Its antiquity has been further proved by the recent finds of a Buddhist stupa and a vihar at Dev-ni-Mori about a mile and a half from Shamlaji. The stupa is considered a sharir stupa i.e., one containing a fragment of the mortal remains of the Buddha.
Remains of shrines of different religions show that the whole area around Shamlaji was once not only prosperous but an important center of civilization and culture. Also, there is a small shrine on the way from the Shamalaji Temple to the Meshwo river, where an image of a late-Gupta standing Ganesha which is still worshiped.
