Banganga fair is an ancient fair celebrated annually in the month of April-May
on the full moon day of Vaishakh. It is held near a rivulet about 11km
from Bairat, a historical township in Jaipur district. On that day people
come here to have a dip in the Banganga stream which is believed to have
originated from the sport where Arjun shot an arrow. The fair ground
is surrounded by low hills and has an abundance of palm trees. The origin
of the fair is shrouded in mystery. The fair started about 200 years ago,
when the Radha-Krishna temple was erected. People celebrate this fair
with full fervor and enthusiasm and they gather at the temple a day before
the fair starts and sing bhajans at night.
The Radha-Krishna temple is an impressive double storey building. After
ten steps, there is a shrine of Garuda facing the main idols of Krishna
and Radha. On the four sides are Verandahs. One of them has the images
of the Pandavas and their wife, Draupadi. In the right verandah is a row
of lingas on which water flows through a common channel. One of the lingas
has five faces carved on it. This is known as the Panch-Mikhi-Madhaeva
of Ekdash Rudra. No feasts are held in the temple. Besides the Radha Krishna
temple, the banks of the Banganga are studded with temples of Ganga Bihari
, Hanuman, Shiva temple and the Goswamiji Math.
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