Santoshgarh/Una, January 21:- The two-day annual Jod Mela and Ghallu Ghara Day, held on January 21-22 at the historic Shri Guru Ravidas Temple in Santoshgarh Municipal Council, began on Wednesday with the Fateh Yatra. This year, the 20th Jod Mela was dedicated to Saint Mirabai.
In a ceremony filled with devotion by devotees, Himachal Pradesh State Scheduled Caste Commission Chairman Kuldeep Kumar Dhiman, as the chief guest, hoisted a flag inscribed with the word Soham and sent off a palanquin adorned with the statue of Guru Ravidas Maharaj and the Adi Prakash Granth. The event was presided over by Balwant Singh, Chairman of the Jod Mela Committee.
Present on this occasion were Sant Surinder Das, head of Khuralgarh Sahib Charan Chhoh Ganga, Baba Santosh Das Bittu, Sant Ravinder Das, Sant Gyananand Maharaj, Sant Vijay Das Ji Bhanam, Kunwar Jagveer Singh Sidhu, son of former MLA Shingara Ram Sahungra, founder of the Jod Mela, and SC Commission member Vijay Dogra and SC Commission member Shalini.
Kuldeep Kumar Dhiman stated that there is a long struggle behind the Jod Mela at Santoshgarh Guru Ravidas Temple. This magnificent temple exists today due to the efforts of society and intellectuals. The then Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh had expressed his faith here and announced the construction of the temple.
Referring to the 2005 temple incident, he said that the sacrifices of those who served jail time, including women, men, the elderly, and children, can never be forgotten. The state government is moving forward on the path of development with religious harmony. We must unite and fight for social upliftment. Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar secured our rights in the Constitution, otherwise, opposing forces would have eliminated them.
The Fateh Yatra, carried the palanquin of Guru Ravidas Maharaj, carried by dozens of tractor-trailers and hundreds of devotees, began at Santoshgarh, passing through Khanpur, Nangra, Janakpur, Una, Bahdala, Mehatupur, Basdehra, and Chhattarpur Tada, culminating at the temple. The atmosphere was filled with devotion, with chants of hymns like "Soham-Soham" and "Satguru Pyare" (Spiritual Guru). Youths expressed their joy by dancing and singing on motorcycles. Festive offerings were laid at various locations, and a langar was organized in Bahdala.
Balwant Singh explained that 20 years ago, the government machinery, in connivance with certain elements, demolished the temple, resulting in the imprisonment of 103 devotees. The victory of that struggle is today's Jod Mela, which was started by founder Shingara Ram Sahungra with the Fateh Yatra. This fair will continue until the sun rises, spreading the message of goodwill.
A large number of devotees, including Kulwinder Bains, President of the Guru Ravidas Religious Sabha Santoshgarh, Kashmiri Lal, Bachan Chand Patel, Manohar Lal, and Ashok Kumar Bassan, participated in the Fateh Yatra.