Chhapar Mela

September 2023

Fairs

Ludhiana, Punjab

18°C / Clouds

History
Places to visit
How to reach

Celebrated in the village of Chhapar, in Ludhiana district, Chhapar Mela is a nice blend of cultural ethos. In this fair, one would find everything to entertain themselves, right from delicious foods to fun games. Observed on the fourth day of Bhadra month, this Punjabi fair is majorly held in the memory of Gugga Pir who is also known as Gogaji. He is a folk deity, mainly worshipped in the northern Indian states like Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Jammu, Gujarat, and few other places.

Gugga Pir is celebrated as a warrior-hero in local regions and is also revered as a saint or the snake god.

History of Chhapar Mela

According to the legend, once upon a time a snake and a boy were born together in an agricultural family residing in Chhapar village. It is said that both of them shared a very strong bond of love with each other. Once, it happened that the mother of the boy went to the fields for some work leaving him on the cot. To comfort the boy and provide him with some shade, the snake went stretching his hood on him.

At that moment, a local villager was passing by. Seeing the snake so close to the boy, he thought it is there to kill the toddler, hence he killed it. As they shared a mutual bond of love, the boy also died a few moments post the snake's death. After the deaths, the family members were advised by the village elders to worship Gugga for the well-being of the child and since then this fair is held in the saint’s memory.

Major Attractions of Chhapar Mela 2023

According to the legends, it is believed that this fair came into being about 150 years ago by a few devotees of the Gugga Pir. Every year, it is celebrated in the month of Bhado or Bhadra. According to the English calendar, the date of this event falls sometime in September. Lately, this fair has garnered too much attention for itself and the number of people attending this fair has risen to millions.

The Celebrations of Chhapar Mela

With the onset of this fair, you can witness and indulge yourself in various activities from playing games to devouring scrumptious food items. There are stalls for food, games, and arts and crafts all around. The Punjabi people can also be seen dancing with perpetual smiles on their faces.

Overall, it is a nice blend of fun, music, and dance. And from the past few decades, this fair has emerged to be one of the most popular and largest cultural gatherings of Ludhiana, Punjab.

How to Reach Chhapar Mela 2023

Ludhiana is an amazing place to explore the Indian heritage and culture. It is located at an approximate distance of about 307, 1,720, 1,831,2,483 km from Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Bengaluru respectively. Here is how you can reach here by the following means of public transportation.

By Air

To travel by air, you can either book a flight to Chandigarh Airport (IXC) or Amritsar Airport (ATQ). Both of these airports are located (approx) 110 and 160 km from Ludhiana respectively and receive direct and connecting flights from other Indian cities. After deboarding at one of the airports, one may use the local transport to travel in the city and reach their respective destination. Ludhiana has its own airport as well but due to limited flight connectivity, it is advised to deboard at one of the above-mentioned airports.

By Rail

Ludhiana has its own railway station of the same name and is considered to be one of the busiest train junctions in all of Punjab. It has great connectivity with other Indian cities. From the railway station, one may take a taxi or a bus to reach the desired location.

By Road

For traveling by roadways you can either take the interstate tourist bus or private buses to reach Ludhiana. Otherwise, you can also consider hiring a cab or may even travel in your personal vehicle. Here is how you can reach Ludhiana by the following routes.