3-day Suhi fair at Chamba from April 11

Our Correspondent

Chamba, March 20

The three-day Suhi fair of Chamba district will begin from April 11. Only women and children participate in the three-day fair. On the first day of the fair, a grand procession is taken out from Pink Palace in Chamba to Suhi Mata Temple. On the second day, a procession is organised from Suhi Mata Temple to Maluna (the memorial site of Queen Sunayana). On the third day, the fair concludes with a procession to the temple site.

Commemorates sacrifice of queen

• It is believed that in order to bring water to the village, Queen Sunayana or her son had to be sacrificed. So, the queen decided to sacrifice her life
• King Sahil Varman later built a memorial on top of the hill overlooking the town where the canal flows. A stone idol in memory of the queen is enshrined there
• In order to honour the sacrifice made by queen Sunayana, popularly known as Rani Suhi, a temple was constructed at the site known as the Suhi Mata Temple and an annual congregation takes place in April every year
• Local residents organise community feasts and women from the Gaddi community perform Ghurehi dance, showcasing glimpses of Queen Sunayana’s sacrifice, during three-day fair

According to the folklore, Queen Sunayana of Chamba, in sixth century, chose to be buried alive to quench the thirst of her subjects. It is said that during the foundation of Chamba city, there was a serious water problem. To solve the issue, the king of Chamba ordered water to be brought from the Sarotha stream, about two miles away from the city, through kuhal (canal).

Despite the efforts of the workers, water did not come through the canal. According to the legend, one night the king heard a divine voice in his dream saying that water would come through the canal only if either the queen or a son of the king was buried alive at the source of the water. The king became very distressed due to this dream.

Meanwhile, when Queen Sunayana asked the king about his worries, he narrated the entire dream to her. Consequently, the queen, despite the opposition from the king and the people, decided to sacrifice herself for the welfare of the people. It is said that the queen ordered to prepare a trough and when she entered the trough to make the supreme sacrifice, the entire valley became filled with tears.

As the trough was filled with soil, water started flowing in the canal. Even today, water flows in this canal in Chamba town. King Sahil Varman later built a memorial on top of the hill overlooking the town where the canal flows. A stone idol in memory of the queen is enshrined there. This idol is still worshipped with great reverence by the people of Chamba, especially women. Every year, three-day fair is organised in the memory of the queen and as a tribute to her sacrifice.

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