Ashok Sharma
One of the famous Melas of Udhampur, which attracts thousands of visitors from within and outside the state is the annual Shiv Parvati Mela at Moungri.
This 3-Day famous Mela is organised with great religious fervour and gaiety every year on the eve of first Jyeshth and lasts till the 3rd Jyeshth (which generally falls around mid May), at Sar Dabbar (Kalsote) at a distance of 51 Kilometers from Udhampur, nestled in the pictursque and salubrious environs in the lap of nature at the confluence of two streams in Block and Tehsil Moungri in District Udhampur.
The Mela site is ideally located in the midst of tall mountains endowed with matchless and pristine beauty .’Sar’ means a ‘lake’ such as ‘Surinsar, Mansar, Dalsar etc.It is believed that this place was once a lake the water of which was drained leaving the vast stretch of plain land (Dabbar) behind. A large no of people from Moungri, Panchari, Udhampur and other regions of our state and outside throng Sar Dabbar during the Mela to pay their obeisance to Lord Shiva,Goddess Parvati and other deities in the natural caves having a naturally formed nine and a half feet Lingam guarded by Sheshnag and stone manifestations of Damru,Nandi and countless other Deities. Moungri is also the abode of widely revered local Devta Kansar Devta.

(May14-May16, 2024)

The shrine is located near the confluence of Kansar stream and Moungri Nallah,which presents a breathtaking view to the pilgrims.The Mela organised under the overall control of Mela Officer, attracts a large number of local artists and cultural troupes from other parts of the UT, who play melodious tunes on their flutes, present folk songs and folk dances such as kud, geetru, bhakhan etc. and leave the visitors mesmerised and spell bound.The local people, attired in colourful Dogra dresses and leaving behind their household chores,some of them carrying their kids on the shoulders,can be seen trekking for miles in groups on the uneven paths betwen the hills and stream to the mela site.It appears as if one has come into another world of colours, tranquility and joy.Various Government Departments also put up their stalls to aware the people about welfare and people friendly schemes launched by the Central and the UT Government. Sports such as Kabaddi,tug of war, stone lifting and other fun filled activities are also organised with the active participation of the Department of Youth Services and Sports in collaboration with other departments.
An Indian style wrestling match (Dangal), organised under the patronage of Shiv Kumar Sharma who is the President, J&K Indian Style Wrestling Association and Patron in Chief, Shiv Parvati Caves Shrine, Moungri generally on the concluding day of the Mela,is the star attraction of the Mela.A large number of famous wrestlers from within and outside the state take part in the Dangal which is witnessed by a large number of people. Shopkeepers set up temporary shops of sweets, bangles, toys, food items etc and have a brisk business. District Administration Udhampur plays an important role in the successful organisation of this Mela. Besides providing other facilities, the District Administration arranges additional buses to the Mela site to cater to the heavy rush of people for the Mela and makes elaborate arrangements of drinking water, security, power, sanitation, control on rates of various items etc to ensure that people donot face any problem at the Mela. A free langar is also organised for the devotees during the Mela. On the inaugural day of Mela , a Shiv Trishul Yatra under the overall supervision of Didi Champa Devi, member of Lord Shiv Parvati Caves (Moungri) Shrine Development Board, is flagged off by a VIP. The students from the neighbouring schools also take active part in cultural and sports events during the Mela days. The 24th Moungri Kesri Dangal will be organised on 16th May,2024 by J& K Indian Style Wrestling with active support from J&K Police, J&K Bank, Bomagh Kesri Dangal Committee, J&K Tourism, Amar Memorial Trust,Katra & District Administration Udhampur. A large number of famous wrestlers from within and outside the state are expected to take part in the Dangal and show their wrestling skills.
According to Swatantra Dev Kotwal, the permission to run a temporary shop/stall at the Mela is granted in a novel manner. A person interested to run a stall is required to pay just Rs 200.00 per stall as donation to Indian Red Cross Society, get a receipt from the Mela Officer and this receipt is treated as permission for running the stall.Devotees and other people ought to participate in large number to have the blessings of the Deities on one hand and explore the pristine and breathtaking beauty of Nature at the other. Apart from the Mela, a Kalash Yatra is also organised to this shrine on the eve of Shivratri.Local devotees,attrired in colourful dresses gather in large number chanting Bhajans accompanied by playing of musical instruments and Jaikaras ‘Har Har Mahadev’ & ‘ JAI BHOLE SHANKER KI’, resonate with religious fervour, creating religious ambience in the whole area.
Advocate Swatantra Dev Kotwal,the Chairman of Lord Shiva-Pavati Caves Shrine (Moungri)Development Board and who has played a significant role in discovering this cave first on September 14,1998, pleaded for development of Moungri as a tourist and religious spot as the number of visitors is surging every year.He has pleaded for construction of shelters at the Mela site to protect the people from rain and heat.
He also demanded that Department of Tourism should take steps to promote this region as a tourist spot and include this Mela in the Annual calender of activities undertaken by the Tourism Department to boost tourism in this region.He said that that a tourist hut and Youth Hostel has been constructed respectively at a distance of 2 Kms and 4 Kms from Sar Dabbar. Both these buildings need renovation .More inns and huts need to be constructed at this site so that the tourists can have a nice and memorable stay there.He also demanded upgradation of the path with fencing from the Mela site to the holy caves and development of a park at the Mela site.He said that adventure tourism and rural tourism have a vast potential in Moungri and Panchari and already trekking activities are organised by Tawi Trekkers, Jammu from Moungri to Mantalai via Sankri and Nathatop. Such activities need to be boosted by the concerned Departments. He highlighted the need of developing view points at Kainthgali, Panjar and other places to enable the tourists to have a breathtaking view of the lofty mountains,misty in monsoon and snowcapped in winter.
Mr Kotwal also demanded the establishment of a permanent Wrestling Akhara with adequate infrastructure to explore and tap huge wrestling talent and skill in the region as the sport of wrestling is much popular in Panchari-Moungari region.An artificial lake can also be constructed at this site to attract more tourists & boost the local economy.
According to Hans Raj Thakur Ex Sarpanch, the cave is located at the confluence of two streams & waterfalls, an artificial lake should be developed to attract the visitors throughout the year.In view of the cool climate of this region almost like that of Kashmir Valley,trees such as Chinar,Deodar etc should also be planted in large numbers along the road and in the whole of Moungri and Panchari belt to give boost to the local tourism and economy.Moreover this region has a vast potential for floriculture and horticulture sectors .Therefore, there is need to organise awareness camps for the local farmers in order to aware them about the latest schemes related to floriculture and horticulture and motivate them to adopt these sectors to add to their income.
(The writer retired as Sr.Lecturer in English from SED,UT of J&K)

Follow our WhatsApp channel