Imagine a single fair for a cluster of almost two hundered temples. Think of a crowd of thousands of people amidst these ancient places of worship with a legend older than the temple building. Jageshwar Fair is held in the honor of Lord Jageshwar (another name for God Shiva), one of the twelve Jyotirlingas (Columns of Light) spread all over India. Jageshwar group of temples has about 150-200 temples dedicated to gods and goddesses of lesser hierarchy. There are two Jageshwar Mela held over the year, one on Maha Shivratri and the other in the month of Sravana. The latter one is more famous and bigger, far more people attend it and thus it is livelier by local standards.
Time & Venue
Jageshwar Fair is held around the 15th of Shrawan (August / September) of Hindu calendar. The Mela is hosted on the hills of Dantrai in Dantrai village.
Ritual
It is of great importance to take a dip in the ‘Bhramakund’ and ‘Jat Ganga’ situated near the temple complex since it is thought to be a very essential part of worshipping Lord Shiva during the Jageshwar fair.
The City
The town of Jageshwar is located approximately 34 kms from Almora. The temple complex in Jageshwar is of enormous archeological importance since these temples were made by the kings of Kumaon many centuries back. The entire area is enveloped in Pine and Deodar (Cedar) trees with nearby Sandalwood plantations. Rivulets Nandini and Surabhi have their confluence area quite near to the temple. Jageshwar is one of the holiest places in India and has a beautiful museum showcasing some of the ancient temple gems like religious iconography and 18th Century temple idols.
