Ram Tirth Fair is celebrated at the Ram Tirth Temple , which is situated
11 km west of Amritsar on Amritsar Lopoke road. This four to five day
long annual fair, held on the full moon day in the month of November,
is an important religious event of the city. During the fair, pilgrims
visit the temple in the early morning of the Puranmashi (full moon night)
and take a bathe in the sacred tank which is believed to have been dug
by Hanuman. After that they circumambulate the thirty feet wide tank with
the chanting mantras 'Ram Ram'.
A main attraction of the fair is the ceremony performed by women known
as tulla toarna (meaning floating of tullas) which is held at puranmashi
night. For this, lamps are made out of kneaded flour and fed with pure
ghee or mustard oil. Reciting devotional songs and hymns, women light
these lamps and release them to float in the tank by placing on leaf plates
or boat shaped carriers made of sarkanda reeds. It is believed that this
ritual will wash off all the sins
The fair at Ram Tirth is attended by a huge crowd, specially women as
it is said that by visiting this fair the childless females are blessed
to become fertile. Among the pilgrim there is a general belief that their
visit of the fair would be complete only after giving contributions to
beggars, lepers and crippled persons. Several cultural programs are also
organized by different religious and social bodies.
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