The
colorful fairs of Himachal Pradesh reflect its rich traditional and
cultural heritage. Mid-February sees a weeklong Winter Sports Festival
at Manali. It is around this time only that Una fair, known as the Baba
Barbhang Singh Mela, is organized in the honor of the saint 'Baba
Barbhang Singh'. Come summer season and it is the time for the 'Summer
Festival' of Shimla, which offers flower show, exhibitions, unique
fashion shows, etc. Harvest fairs of Himachal Pradesh, such as Lavi Fair
of Rampur and Minjar Fair of Chamba are also quite popular amongst
tourists.Minjar Mela
Minjar Mela is celebrated as a commemoration of the victory of the Raja of Chamba over the ruler of Trigarta (now known as Kangra), in 935 AD. It is said that on the return of their victorious king, people greeted him with sherfs of paddy and maize, as gift to symbolize prosperity and happiness.
Lavi Fair
Lavi Fair of Himachal Pradesh is organized annually in Rampur, on the banks of River Satluj. It is held in the month of November and has already attained international fame and renown. Lavi once served as a major trading center and the stopover point on the old trade routes that led to Kinnaur, Tibet, Ladakh and Afghanistan.
Winter Carnival
Winter Carnival of Manali is one of the two winter fairs organized in Himachal Pradesh, with the other being the one in Shimla. It is organized in the month of February, when there is lot of snow and ice covering the slopes of Himachal hills. People coming to the carnival can opt for winter sports organized at snow-capped Rohtang range and ski slopes of Solang valley.
