Excelsior Correspondent
KATRA, June 14: The three day fair, popularly known as Agar Jitto Mela that commenced on Thursday received a huge rush of devotees, touching 50 thousand mark at Agar village.
The day of ‘Purnima’, witnessed maximum rush of devotees at the annual fair.
A small village Agar, located about 5 km from Katra, was beautifully decorated for the big event with thousands of devotees from within and outside the State including Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pardesh thronging the place to pay obeisance to Baba Jittu Mal- a farmer, who had preferred to end his life instead of bearing the injustice at the hands of greedy landlords.
The Agar Jitto Mela is organized by the people to pay tribute to the Baba Jittu Mal, also known as the Baba Jitto to commemorate his sacrifice.
The devotees took holy bath at springs known for healing power and paid obeisance at the temple constructed in the memory of the saint farmer. It is believed that by taking a bath at the spring, people can get rid of several skin diseases and cure the victims of witchcraft.
The devotees also sought blessings of Bua Kodi, the daughter of Jitto, who jumped on the pyre of the Baba. The devotees, including the decedents of people who had eaten the wheat on which Baba Jitto laid his life, performed the ritual in which they whirl their heads on the beats of drum and many beat their body with the iron chains. The entire village of Agar has been magnificently decorated by the local people for the fair, shopkeepers and the district administration.
The shopkeepers have installed several playoffs, exhibitions and food stalls to make the traditional fair a pilgrim-cum-excursion point for the people.
Attractions of the last day mela were 51st Vishal Dangal’ by J&K Indian Style Wrestling Association and Dogri play “Baba Jitto” by Natrang.
The staging of Bawa Jitto was supported by Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board and the District Administration, Reasi. Natrang director Balwant Thakur took the initiative about last year back and with the help of Agar Mela Committee and started presenting this world class theatrical wonder based on the life and sacrifice of Bawa Jitto at the Agar Mela. This year’s shows were opened on Friday at the main stage of Agar.
Set in the rural backdrop, story of ‘Bawa Jitto’ portrays the age-old saga of exploitation of landless farmers by landlords. Due to the constant and persistent pressures of relatives, with a piece of land as bone of contention, Bawa Jitto, a hard working, farm less farmer is forced to leave his native village. Accompanied by his nine-year-old daughter, he takes shelter in the house of a friend in Shamachak, a nearby village. The efforts of his friend Rullo result in a land grant from landlord in Shamachak and one fourth of the produce is fixed as land revenue. The hard work put in by him, the sweat and toil of Jitto turns a barren land into prolific treasure. This makes avaricious landlord to back out on his word and ask for major share of the crop. Helpless Jitto, unable to endure injustice, kills himself. The agony becomes boundless when Gauri, his little daughter immolates herself on her father’s pyre.
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