Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha will inaugurate the 10-day annual Jhiri Mela on the outskirts of Jammu city, with thousands of devotees from across the country expected to throng the fair to seek blessings at the Baba Jittoo temple.
Around 10 to 12 lakh devotees, mainly from Jammu region, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Haryana, visit the fair every year to commemorate the sacrifice of the 16th-century farmer saint Baba Jittoo, who gave up his life in protest against the oppressive demands of a zamindar about 500 years ago.
“Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha ji will inaugurate the fair at Jhiri tomorrow. All measures and facilities have been put in place for the smooth conduct of the fair,” Jammu Deputy Commissioner Rakesh Minhas told reporters here.
The fair is being jointly organised by the Directorate of Tourism in collaboration with the district administration from November 4 to 13.
The departments of agriculture and horticulture, besides the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC), have extended their departmental support to the fair, ensuring sanitation, health facilities, parking, power and water supply arrangements, officials said.
The Agriculture Department’s participation will serve as a vital platform to enhance farmers’ knowledge, exposure and engagement with new technologies and government schemes, while paying tribute to Baba Jittoo’s enduring legacy.
Security has been beefed up with the deployment of police and paramilitary forces, they added.
According to legend, Baba Jittoo, a humble farmer, sacrificed his life in defiance of an unjust landlord’s exploitation. His daughter later immolated herself on his funeral pyre in an act of devotion and grief.
Devotees also take a customary dip in Baba-da-Talab, a natural pond located about four kilometres from the temple, which is believed to have curative powers, the officials said.
