| Banganga
Fair
The Banganga Fair is held near a rivulet about 11km from Bairat, a historical
township in Jaipur district. People come on the full moon day of Vaisakh
to have a dip in the sacred stream which is supposed 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. No feasts are held in the temple and the pilgrims bring their
own food. The banks of the Banganga are studded with temples. Besides
the Radha-Krishna temple, and by the side of the Nand Kund, is the shrine
of Hanuman. Maharaja Ram Singh built the Har-Ki-Pauri. People 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. |
