Missing “bonhomie” between India and Pakistan has once again impacted annual congregation of devotees of Baba Dalip Singh Manhas, popularly known as Baba Chamliyal, for the second consecutive year in Ramgarh sector of Samba district.
Last year, the annual fair was suspended after four BSF personnel including an Assistant commandant were martyred in cross border firing in the same area on June 12-13.
This year the annual fair is being organised by the district administration but the traditional flag meeting between the BSF and the Pakistan Rangers will continue to remain suspended for the second consecutive year.
On Wednesday, a senior BSF officer of Jammu frontier, issued a written statement clarifying, “there hasn’t been any formal communication between Rangers and BSF on this year’s Chamliyal Mela”.
Devotees on both sides of the International border converge at the shrine on last Thursday of June to find cure for their chronic skin ailments as per the popular legend.
At the peak of hostilities during Kargil war the annual fair was not organised in 1999.
After performing the rituals in their own territory the men in uniform, from both the countries, gather at the zero line along the International border in Ramgarh sector and exchange holy cloth with trolleys of shakkar-sharbat (mud and holy water of the well). The original shrine of Baba Chamliyal is located inside the Indian territory in village chamliyal and its replica is built by devotees of Baba Chamiyal in village Saidawali in Pakistan after they were disallowed to enter Indian territory following 1971 war.
As per the legend the original shrine is over 300 years old and was built by devotees of Baba chamliyal after his supreme sacrifice. The shrine remained nondescript till BSF men occupied the area and renovated the place.
For past several years the Pakistani rangers have not been visiting the shrine located inside the Indian territory in village chamliyal but they hand over holy cloth,’ chaddar’ to the BSF authorities at the zero line to be placed inside the sanctum sanctorum. In return, the BSF men hand over Shakkar-Sharbat(mud and holy water of the well) in tractor trolleys for distribution among devotees in Pakistan.