Benisang Baisakhi Mela

Rajinder Chand Anthal
The people of erstwhile Chenani state have rich cultural heritage of celebrating fairs and festivals from ages. The kings of Chenani have contributed a lot for the enrichment of these cultural events by raising required infrastructure at places of religious importance. Historical places, temples, and Holy rivulets were provided better connectivity for promotion of religious pilgrimage in Chenani area. The cultural and religious events were celebrated with great pomp and show throughout the year. Prominent among these are fairs, festivals, kuds, and jattars, etc.
Baisakhi is an important festival of North India. On this day people take bath in Holy rivers and offer prayer in nearby temples. It marks the beginning of new season. The dry branches of the trees develop leaves and flowers. Harsh winter season is over. The rivers are full of ice-cold water, winter crops are ready to be cut and the farmers look cheerful in celebration mode.
Like the famous Mela of Sudhmahadev, the Baisakhi Mela of Benisang is also one of the oldest fairs of Duggar land. Benisang is a wonderful evergreen valley at a distance of six kilometres from Chenani towards Mantalai. Legends say that the Barat of Lord Shiva stayed for a night at this place and the Nandi was tied with old Kharak tree near the temple. At Benisang Holy Devika rivulet coming down from Sudhmahadev meets with two other sacred rivers Tawi and Bhrathari. So Benisang is a Sangam of three sacred rivers, hence described as the most sacred place for a holy bath. The ancient name of this place is TRIVENI-SANGAM and with passage of time the name changed to Benisang. The Government has recently constructed motorable road upto this place.
On the day of Baisakhi, a Mela is held on the bank of River Devika near Temple of Lord Shiva. On the right side of Sangam there is galaxy of old and new temples. Thakurdwara and the temple of Hanuman are the old constructions whereas the temples of Vishavkarma, Ram Temple, and Ganga Mata Temple and many others are newly built. There are bathing ghats on both banks of the holy rivulet.
The temple of Lord Shiva at Benisang is believed to be constructed some five hundred years ago by Raja of Chenani. Legends say that a farmer was ploughing his field in the nearby village Kharwa. Suddenly the Iron Tip of the plough struck with some solid object and the bullocks stopped. On digging, the farmer found a stone made idol of Shiv-Parvati buried in the soil and blood was coming out from the idol where the plough had struck. The famer took out the idol and washed it with water. The blood stopped. He thought to present the idol to the king by carrying it on his back.
After covering some distance towards Chenani he reached Benisang. He was tired enough and in order to take rest he placed the idol under a shady tree near the Sangam of Devika and Tawi. After some time he tried to lift the idol for onward journey. Surprisingly the idol got stuck to the ground and could not be lifted again. Leaving the idol there under the custody of some locals, the farmer went to Chenani and narrated the story to the king.
The king ordered to build a Temple at the same place where the idol was lying. So a beautiful temple was constructed there. With the passage of time more construction was added and the place got wide publicity. There are very few Shiv Temples in India with full PARIKRMA and the Benisang Temple is one among the few. Thousands of litres of water poured over the Shiv-Lingam is absorbed in the ground with no outlet visible anywhere.
Even the earthquakes, large scale floods and natural upheavals could not damage the smooth flow of water from the temple. It is a live miracle of Lord Shiva. There are two Samadhis of Sadhus in the Temple Complex which are held in very high esteem by the visitors. The temple is being looked after by Mahants of Nath community. Raja Chenani had donated large landed estate in village Bain and Kharwa for the maintenance of Temple affairs. Narad Gir is the present Mahant of the Temple.
Mahant Jamna Gir, the father of the present Mahant told a very interesting tale of magical power of the souls of great saints buried in the two Samadhis in the Temple Complex. Once some Sadhus came to Benisang during the Amarnath Yatra period and stayed at Benisang. They asked the reason to build these Samadhis in front of Shiv Temple. The Mahant of that time told Sadhus that they are not ordinary Samadhis but live Samadhis of great saints having great spiritual powers. The visiting Sadhus made fun of them by saying that how the Samadhis of dead can be termed as alive. The Mahant told that he has learnt it from his forefathers that they are alive and he has personally felt holy vibrations around these Samadhis. The ignorant Sadhus stuck to their word and challenged the Mahant to prove his word or leave the ‘seat’. Lot of people were invited to the Temple. The Mahant after brief worship placed a Chilam (Burning Tobacco pipe) on the Samadhis and stood up with folded hands. After some time all were astonished to see that clouds of smoke started coming out from the Chilam as if someone is sucking it. The Sadhus realised their mistake and prayed before the Samadhis. Everything was calm thereafter.
People reach Benisang one day earlier to the Mela. The bangle and sweet sellers from Jammu, Pathankot, Udhampur, and Chenani establish their stalls on the vacant land near the Bathing Ghats of Holy Devika and Tawi. Next day early in the morning the people take a Holy Bath at the Sangam of the three most Sacred Rivers of Duggar Land. They stand in long queues before the temple for worship and blessing of Lord Shiva. Transport facility is provided upto Benisang from Chenani on the day of the Mela. This Mela provides opportunity to the remote and highly backward Rural Folk to see glimpse of modernity. The Gaddis, Gujjars, Tekkers come out from nearby Kulasar, Matlowa and Jug Dhar areas in traditional dresses singing old Dogri songs. The ladies put on colourful dress and make good purchases from the stalls of the Mela. Some people organise Free Langer for the pilgrims near the Temple. This is indeed a Rural Mela but now a days it is a combination of urban and rural gathering. It is said that Holy Bath at Benisang and prayer in Lord Shiva temple on the day of Baisakhi will get blessing of Lord Shiva for welfare and prosperity of mankind.
(The author is member ARC University of Jammu and former Zonal Education Officer)

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