Samba administration gears up to host lakhs of devotees at Baba Chamliyal shrine today
Arteev Sharma
Jammu: Amid continued hostilities between India and Pakistan, the centuries-old Chamliyal Mela will be held on Thursday at the revered Baba Chamliyal shrine on International Border (IB) in Ramgarh sector of Samba district, but without the traditional ceremonial meeting between the Border Security Force (BSF) and Pakistan Rangers—for the eighth consecutive year.
The cross-border annual congregation, once seen as a symbol of spiritual harmony and people-to-people ties, was discontinued in 2018 following sniper fire from the Pakistani side at Chamliyal BOP in Ramgarh sector that claimed the lives of four BSF soldiers, including an assistant commandant rank officer, just days before the Mela. Since then, the ceremony at the zero line, which involved the exchange of sacred offerings between the two forces, has remained suspended.
The annual Chamliyal Mela, celebrated on the fourth Thursday of June every year, continues to draw thousands of devotees from across Jammu and neighbouring states comprising Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan. However, Pakistani devotees—particularly from Sialkot—will once again miss the opportunity to offer prayers and visit the shrine of Baba Dalip Singh Manhas, popularly known as Baba Chamliyal, revered by many as a spiritual guide.
Sources told The News Now that this year, too, the district administration will be organizing the Mela independently, with the BSF not participating in the ceremonial aspects of the event. “There will be no ceremony of offering Shakkar (sacred soil) and Sharbat (holy water) to the Pakistan Rangers, as no flag meeting is scheduled this year,” a source confirmed.
“These rituals, introduced as confidence-building measures after the 2003 ceasefire agreement, lost ground after repeated ceasefire violations, including the targeted attack on Chamliyal post,” the source added.
In fact, the possibility of restoring the cross-border connect appears bleak, especially after the Indian armed forces recent ‘Operation Sindoor’—a retaliatory move targeting terror camps across the border following Pahalgam terror attack on April 22 this year.
A senior official of district administration said, “It was the government decision to stop the practice of allowing Pakistan Rangers up to the zero line. In such a scenario, the role of the BSF is now limited to ensuring security, as the event is being held close to the international border. On our side, all arrangements are in place, and we expect a large number of visitors from across North India,” the official said.
Pertinently, the Chamliyal Mela commemorates Baba Dalip Singh Manhas, a spiritual guide whose shrine has served as a symbol of faith for over 325 years. Traditionally, BSF officials would receive a chadar and sweets from their Pakistani counterparts, and in return, hand over the sacred “Shakkar and Sharbat”, believed to cure skin diseases.
Until 1971, Pakistani devotees were allowed to visit the shrine. In later years, they would gather across the zero line in large numbers just to catch a glimpse of the sacred site. The 2003 ceasefire rekindled hopes, and for over a decade, the BSF-Rangers ceremony became a fixture of the Mela until hostilities resumed in 2018.
The 2018 firing incident by Pakistani Rangers at the Chamliyal BOP (Border Outpost), in which four BSF personnel, including an Assistant Commandant, were killed, led to the discontinuation of the Mela and it dashed hopes of revival.
It marked the first time the Chamliyal post was directly targeted in the month of June—an attack seen as a symbolic violation of a sacred space.
Despite the absence of cross-border participation, the shrine, however, continued to draw lakhs of devotees. Local administration and volunteers make extensive arrangements for the fair every year, which features religious ceremonies, food stalls, cultural events, and security protocols to ensure a smooth experience for pilgrims.
