Sair Festival
The state of Himachal Pradesh is blessed in more ways than one. Its stunning landscape is a sight for sore eyes; whereas, the warm, hospitable people make a trip to Himachal Pradesh very special. Often referred to as the Abode of Clouds, it’s no secret that Himachal Pradesh is the perfect setting for numerous fairs and festivals. The locals are as enterprising as they are hospitable and this makes any festival organized in this region very special. In the long list of festivals and fairs organized in Himachal Pradesh, one is the Sair Festival, which is organized in Shimla.
During the festival, the hosting region comes alive with all sorts of lights and sounds and the sensory experience is paramount. The highlight of the fair is a unique buffalo fight. The Sair Festival boasts of a fantastic location and provides a unique foray into the lives of locals and their rich heritage. It provides a wonderful opportunity to soak in the enriching ambience as well as enjoy a unique macroscopic view of the Indian traditions and culture at the same place. Locals gather together and make all the arrangements for the festival which is organised at a grand scale and tourists from all over the country as well as numerous parts of the world gather every year to celebrate this festival.
Month of Celebration of The Festival
The Sair Festival is one of the many festivals organised as part of Himachal Pradesh’s rich cultural heritage. This festival is usually organised in the month of September and it is celebrated every year in Himachal Pradesh with much fanfare. The festival provides the perfect escape from the humdrum of daily life and locals find relief from the monotonous existence and partake in the festivities to celebrate life, colour and happiness. To celebrate the abundant natural beauty and the rich cultural heritage of Himachal Pradesh, the locals get together, form committees, organise this festival every year. Visitors, too, visit the region to partake in the festivities.
"Though the fair has lost its traditional charm and saw the invasion of modernism, still the locals celebrate it with enthusiasm by participating in bullfights and offering harvest crop to the god," Shiv Singh, a local in Mashobra, told IANS.
He said as per the tradition the elders in a family offered "dhruv", a sacred grass, with dry fruits items by the younger family members.
The festival also sees purchase of utensils and clothes and cooking of special dishes.
"More than 50 bulls, reared by the locals especially for the occasion, would participate in the bullfights," he said.
Before the fights, the bulls are generally drugged or made to drink alcohol to keep them charged up.
During the months of September, this astonishing festival is celebrated in Shimla and in Arki in Solan, right in lap of nature. The beautiful and exotic state of Himachal Pradesh is the best place to organize such festivals. A grand fair is part of the festivities during this time where visitors from various parts of the country gather together and indulge in various activities. Men and women, old and young, students and professionals, all sorts of people visit Shimla for the wondrous Sair Festival.
Description About Sair Festival
Keeping up with the tradition of all things grand, the Sair Festival in Himachal Pradesh is also celebrated on a huge scale. Thousands, even lakhs of people, visit the fair and enjoy the numerous offerings. People enjoy an extended vacation with their family, friends and other loved ones. They also relish the quiet hillside environment. Rejuvenating and refreshing, a trip to the Sair Festival is a lot more than just a visit to Shimla. It’s a whole experience in itself. The festival is celebrated on a grand scale. Various activities are part of the fair that is organized to celebrate this festival. Street plays, dances, songs, acrobatics, and games are all part of the festival and the fair. Stalls are set up and locals sell a variety of items especially designed keeping in mind the tourist populace that visits the valley for the Pori Festival.
While the festival is organized mostly in Shimla, at a close distance, in Arki in Solan, a special event is organised. On the lines of the bull fights of Athens, a special buffalo fight is organised. The difference between the events in Athens and that in India is that in India even the general public can be the audience after paying a small sun – a practice that is not employed in Athens where this event is only accessible to a select few. Arki in Solan where this event is organised, has abundant greenery and numerous kinds of flowering plants and the sheer beauty of the region is a real sight to behold.
The festival of Sair boasts of not just a fantastic location but also a foray into the lives of locals, especially the artists. Local craftsmen set up stalls to attract the tourists visiting the region and this works well for both the tourists who are on the lookout for traditional handicrafts and for the artists who are always in need of more opportunities. The festival enables a rich give and take, thus, of not just goods of all kinds, but also of ideas. The human spirit of generosity is visible during the various events at the Sair Festival.
Sair – One Festival, Many Stories
Sair – One Festival, Many Stories
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