Baba Sodal Mela, Jalandhar is celebrated in the city to commemorate the death of the child deity, Sodal. The fair is hosted for a day in the city of Jalandhar on the day the child is said to have received his communion with God. Observed on the 14th of Shukal Paksh in the month of Bhadon, which coincides with the month of September in the English calendar, Baba Sodal Mela, Jalandhar is one of the most popular Jalandhar festivals celebrated by the people of the city.
Legend has it that Sodal, a member of the Chadha clan of Khatri caste, who reside in the city of Jalandhar, sacrificed his life by drowning himself in the pond. Although prohibited by his mother, Sodal followed his mother to the pond. Enraged by his insolence, his mother asked him to drown himself in the pond. After asking his mother three times about her resolution and repeatedly receiving the same answer from her, Sodal jumped into the pond never to appear again. The people of the city of Jalandhar believe that the child was blessed with divine powers and celebrate his death anniversary every year.
The smadh of the child deity is the sanctum sanctorum. Beside it stands the portrait of the child that is embellished with flower garlands and rosaries. Prayers are offered here by the pilgrims who arrive from all the corners of the city and from the neighboring city of Jalandhar. Wading through the waters of the Baba Sodal-Da-Sarowar or the tank situated beside the smadh or taking a dip in the holy water also forms a part of the religious curriculum of the pilgrims. The religiosity of the people of Jalandhar is reflected in the Baba Sodal Mela in Jalandhar.
Last Updated on 17th Dec 2012
