Kaila Devi Fair - किला देवी मेला
The Kaila Devi Fair is one of the principal fairs of Rajasthan which is held from Chaitra Krishna 12 to Chaitra Shukla 12 at Kaila in the Karauli sub-division of Sawai Madhopur district.
The village was named Kalia after a sadhu called Kedar Giri who lived on the banks of the river Kali Sil. The images of Lakshmi and Chammunda can be seen in the temple of Kalia Mata.
During the Yadavas rule, Maharaja Gopal Singh built a big temple with dome and a golden pinnacle. Number of buildings were constructed during the time of Maharaja Bhanwarpal and the area acquired vast popularity for its sanctity and scenic charm. The fair is held for a fortnight, during which animals are sacrificed outside the temple to propitiate the goddess. Traders from surrounding areas come to the fair and do brisk business. Rajputs, Meenas and members of the some other scheduled castes are among the principal devotees of Kaila Devi.
To celebrate Kailadevi Fair people flock to the Kaila Devi temple. This temple is situated on the banks of the Kalisil River and is about 2 km from the north west of the Kaila Village. To mark the festivities of this fair around 2 lakhs staunch devotees gather and perform the Kanak-Dandotis one of the famous rituals with absolute dedication. To perform this ritual, devotees need to follow rigorous process. They have to cover 15 to 20 km distance by lying flat and forming lines with their hands in that position. They can not cover this distance on foot. Only scrawling is allowed. This practice is repeated till the devotees reach their destination.
There are few devotees who do not take any break while performing this arduous ritual in Kailadevi Fair, Karauli. However there are some who punctuate their journey with casual breaks and take food and drinks. Later they take a different course of action by performing music and dance in the exquisite courtyard of the temple. They sing praise songs for deity.
The Kailadevi Fair in Karauli is celebrated in the month of Chaitra which in English calendar comprises March to April months. The fair is celebrated for a period of fortnight.
Those who want to witness Karauli's Kailadevi Fair they can board a train to Hindaun which is at a distance of about 48 Km. There is other railhead at Shri Mahavirji. This apart, this temple can also be reached by roads from Karauli, Hindaun and Mahavirji. Besides, apt bus services are also provided by the State Transport to make traveling an easy task for the pilgrims.
The village was named Kalia after a sadhu called Kedar Giri who lived on the banks of the river Kali Sil. The images of Lakshmi and Chammunda can be seen in the temple of Kalia Mata.
During the Yadavas rule, Maharaja Gopal Singh built a big temple with dome and a golden pinnacle. Number of buildings were constructed during the time of Maharaja Bhanwarpal and the area acquired vast popularity for its sanctity and scenic charm. The fair is held for a fortnight, during which animals are sacrificed outside the temple to propitiate the goddess. Traders from surrounding areas come to the fair and do brisk business. Rajputs, Meenas and members of the some other scheduled castes are among the principal devotees of Kaila Devi.
To celebrate Kailadevi Fair people flock to the Kaila Devi temple. This temple is situated on the banks of the Kalisil River and is about 2 km from the north west of the Kaila Village. To mark the festivities of this fair around 2 lakhs staunch devotees gather and perform the Kanak-Dandotis one of the famous rituals with absolute dedication. To perform this ritual, devotees need to follow rigorous process. They have to cover 15 to 20 km distance by lying flat and forming lines with their hands in that position. They can not cover this distance on foot. Only scrawling is allowed. This practice is repeated till the devotees reach their destination.
There are few devotees who do not take any break while performing this arduous ritual in Kailadevi Fair, Karauli. However there are some who punctuate their journey with casual breaks and take food and drinks. Later they take a different course of action by performing music and dance in the exquisite courtyard of the temple. They sing praise songs for deity.
The Kailadevi Fair in Karauli is celebrated in the month of Chaitra which in English calendar comprises March to April months. The fair is celebrated for a period of fortnight.
Those who want to witness Karauli's Kailadevi Fair they can board a train to Hindaun which is at a distance of about 48 Km. There is other railhead at Shri Mahavirji. This apart, this temple can also be reached by roads from Karauli, Hindaun and Mahavirji. Besides, apt bus services are also provided by the State Transport to make traveling an easy task for the pilgrims.