Nearly three hundred and twenty year old the yearly ‘Chamliyal Mela’ (traditional fair), organised near the International Border (IB) in Village Chamliyal of District Samba in Jammu region was once a symbol of peace and harmony on the borders. The people from both sides of the border i.e India and Pakistan used to celebrate and participate in the fair with full enthusiasm.
Until 2018, the people from both India and Pakistan including the BSF and Pakistani Rangers, used to celebrate this fair jointly with great enthusiasm. The exchange of sweets on borders symbolised the deep belief of the people in Baba Chamliyal on either side, and also the significance of this annual Mela.
This 3-day annual fair is also organised in Saidanwali village on the Pakistani side of the Zero Line. People wait for ‘Shakkar’ and ‘Sharbat’ of Baba Chamliyal’s Dargah.
Sweets used to be exchanged on the International Border and people from India and Pakistan were allowed to visit on both sides of the border during this annual Mela which is organised every year on both sides, for the past 320 years. However this has now become a thing of the past.
Pertinent to mention here, Before the Indo-Pak war in 1971, the people from Pakistan used to visit this side of the border at Village Chamliyal in large numbers during the fair. They used to offer prayers at the Dargah of ‘Baba Dileep Singh Manhas’ called ‘Baba Chamliyal’. Before 1971, the people from Pakistan also used to take away ‘Shakkar’ and ‘Sharbat’ along with them from the Dargah of Baba Chamliyal during the Mela.
After 1971, when people from Pakistan were not allowed to come to village Chamliyal for participation in ‘Chamliyal Mela’, the BSF started handing over ‘Shakkar and ‘Sharbat’ to the Pakistani Rangers for distributing it among the people on the other side of the border.
The Pakistani Rangers also used to offer ‘Chadder’ at the Dargah of ‘Baba Chamlyal’ on behalf of the people of Pakistan. This practice continued till 2018.
In 2018, the relations between India and Pakistan became strained and tension prevailed on the borders. Since then, the Pakistani Rangers are not allowed to come to this side of the border. The fair was canceled in 2018.
The Chamliyal Mela is organised every year on the 4th Thursday of June. It was organised on 22nd of June last month.
There was a mass participation of people from various parts of the country in the Chamliyal Mela. “Head count is not possible, but more than 1 lakh people participated in the Mela and took ‘Sharbat and ‘Shakkar’ for curing skin related diseases,” Tourist Officer, Rajesh Raina told Rising Kashmir.
“Not only from J&K, but people from other states like Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh (UP), Bihar, Delhi and other places, also come to seek the blessings of Baba Chamliyal and take ‘Shakkar’ and ‘Sharbat”, ” he added.
This famous fair was again cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021.
Earlier, thousands of people used to stand on both sides of the border to have a glimpse of the ceremony of offering a Chaddar to the officers of BSF by the Pakistani Rangers , to be laid on the Dargah of the Baba Chamliyal.
The word ‘Cham’ means skin in English. The people on both sides of the border have deep faith and firm belief that ‘Shakkar’ and ‘Sharbat’ of Baba Chamliyal’s Dargah heal various skin diseases. People deeply believe that ‘Shakkar’ and ‘Sharbat’ is a remedy for various skin ailments.
The ‘Baba Chamliyal Mela’ became very popular after November, 2003, when the guns fell silent on the borders after ceasefire and various peace initiatives by both India and Pakistan.
The Border Security Force (BSF) for India and Chenab Rangers of Pakistan mainly used to manage the annual Mela.
“I have been coming to the Chamliyal Mela since the last 2 years as my son has a skin disease i.e white patches/spots on his body,” a follower of Baba Chamliyal, Rajni Sharma said.
She further said, “The white patches/spots on the body of my son have started to disappear slowly in the 2 years since I started participating in the Mela”.
She said that before coming to Baba Chamliyal Mela, she tried various medicines and consulted different doctors but the skin disease of her son could not be cured.
The district administration keeps in consideration the constant increasing rush of the devotees and makes detailed preparations for the fair which include medical facilities, traffic regulation, drinking water facility, additional buses and security arrangements to control the rush of devotees.
The Samba district administration also arranges an exhibition during the Mela which highlights the programmes and schemes being executed by different departments.
At this juncture, sweets are also distributed to start the annual festivity of the Mela of Baba Chamliyal. The Village Chamliyal in Ramgarh Sector of Samba District is around 45 kms away from Jammu.
People suffering from any kind of skin disease apply ‘Shakkar’ on their body and drink ‘Sharbat’. People have a deep belief that ‘Shakkar’ and ‘Sharbat’ cure all kinds of skin diseases.
