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| Kaila Devi Fair |
| Location: |
The Kaila Devi temple on the banks of Kalisil river, on the Trikut hills, 2 km from Kaila village, which in turn is 24 km from Karauli district headquarters, Rajasthan. |
| Significance: |
It is held in the honor of the deity Kaila Devi ( a form of Mahalakshmi, the goddess of wealth and Chamunda, the goddess of death). |
| Time of Celebration: |
In the month of Chaitra (according to the Hindu calendar), for a fortnight starting from 12th day of Chaitra Budi. For fifteen days in March or April. |
 One of the most venerated fairs of Rajasthan, Kaila devi fair is hels at the temple of Kaila Devi, who is worshipped as the guardian deity by the Yadavas, the Khinchis, and the princess of Karauli. In the courtyard of the temple, there is a small temple of Bhairon and a temple facing the Kaila Devi's shrine houses Lord 'Hanuman', called 'Languriya' in the local dialect. Thousands of devotees belonging to all the communities visit the place throughout the year. The fair attracts a lot of pilgrims from other states also such as Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh , Punjab , Delhi and Haryana, who offer cash, coconuts, kajal (kohl), tikki (vermilion), bangles and sweets to the goddess.
An interesting ritual is observed by the successors of Goli Bhagat, a great devotee of Kaila Devi, who come from Agra. This ritual called 'Kanak-Dandoti' is rigorous and is observed by other staunch devotees as well. These devotees cover a distance of 15 to 20 kms to the temple by lying prostrate and marking lines with their hands in that position, then get up and advance upto the drawn line and again repeating the procedure. Though some devotees do take some rest and eat food in between, but there are some who endure the hunger and exhaustion till they reach the temple. The faith of these people is exemplary.
There are a large number of shops selling variety of articles and Mina tribal people perform dances of happiness and sing songs in the praise of the deities lending the gaiety to the environment. |
