Mahashivratri is celebrated all over India and also in some countries abroad. But it has a special significance in Mandi, the independent erstwhile state of Himachal Pradesh where it is being celebrated since centuries with religious fervor and fanfare since the birth of the present Mandi town.
The world famous week-long Shivratri fairs are being celebrated in this temple town of Himachal Pradesh since the rule of Raja Ajber Sen who ruled the state in 1500 AD.
Legend has it that that land on which the present town has been established was once a dense forest where cows and cattle used to graze. A villager was astonished to observe that his newly calved cow was not yielding the desired milk. He kept a regular vigil on the cow and was astonished to note that she was spilling her milk on a stone in the forest. The news spread in the town like a wild fire and also, reached the king, who personally verified it. Mandi rulers were the devotees of Lord Shiva.
In the meantime a strange thing happened. Lord Shiva appeared in a dream of Ajber Sen and ordained him to dig beneath the stone where the cow used to spill milk. He did so and his joy knew no bounds when he unearthed large-size Shivalinga. He decided to build a big Shiva Temple on the site known a Bhutnath Temple.
Simultaneously, he decided to shift Mandi town to the new place from Bhiuli on left bank of Beas to the present site on the right bank on the sacred day of Shivratri. All hill deities of Mandi of the adjoining independent states were also invited to grace the occasion.
In the beginning, the mega fairs of Shivatri used to be celebrated for over a month, but with the passage of time the duration of the fairs kept on shrinking. Now, the fairs are celebrated only for a week.
Presently the role of the king has been taken over by CHIEF MINIster or by the Deputy Commissioner in his absence. This year, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister, Jai Ram Thakur will on March 5 inaugurate the Shivrari Fair successively for the second time after assuming power.
Another interesting development took place during the rule of Raja Surya Sen (164-1679) All his 18 sons had died during his lifetime. He vested the sovereignty to Lord Vishnu ( Madho Rai). In the subsequent years, Madho Rai used to grace the Ratha instead of the king.
Madho Rai now leads the grand Shobha Yatra followed by over 200 deities, bands of Army, home guards, contingents of Police adding to the grandeur of the divine march to the sprawling Padal Stadium, the venue of the week long fairs.
Deputy Commissiomer Rugved Thakur and SP Gurdev Sarma claimed that security arrangements have been made for the fair.