SAROOR
JAMMU: As unprecedented rush was witnessed during annual Baba Chamliyal mela, the highlight of the event, ‘Indo-Pak Meet’ was skipped for the sixth consecutive year at ‘no man’s land’ along India-Pakistan (Zero Line) International Border in Ramgarh sector of Samba district.
“No, Pakistan rangers did not offer traditional ‘chadar’, exchanged sweets and held traditional meet at no man’s land in Ramgarh sector,” an official said.
He added that this is for the sixth consecutive year the Pak Rangers did not visit the spot.
Notably, the annual Baba Chamliyal mela is organised every third Thursday of June.
In 2022, the Mela was held after a gap of two years due to COVID pandemic and the Pakistan Rangers.
“This year the Pak Rangers yet again did not attend the traditional meet held on the Zero Line and exchanged the ‘Chadar’ with the BSF offered at the Shrine,” confirmed the official.
He said that since the historic ‘Chambliyal Mela’ couldn’t be held for two years owing to Covid pandemic, it is expected that this time huge rush of devotees thronged the sanctum sanctorum to pay their obeisance at the holy shrine.
The ritual was stopped in 2018 when the mela was cancelled at Chamliyal following the killing of four BSF personnel, including an Assistant Commandant, in an unprovoked firing by Pakistan Rangers on June 13, 2018.
The annual ‘Chamliyal Mela’ was held with religious fervour at centuries old shrine of Baba Dalip Singh Manhas, popularly known as ‘Baba Chamliyal’, near the village of Chamliyal.
“All preparations were made by the administration,” they said, adding that due to the ongoing Indo-Pak relations, the devotees across the International Border were not delivered traditional ‘shakkar’ (soil) and ‘sharbat’ (water) from the dargah,” they said.
The revered shrine is on Zero Line just 200 meters away from the Indo-Pak International Border while its distance from Jammu is around 45 kilometers.
Around 324 years old ‘Chamliyal Mela’, which is celebrated every year on third Thursday in the month of June with equal zeal and enthusiasm on both sides of the International Border, about 600 yards apart, one being at Chamliyal on Indian side, and the other at Saidanwali village of Sialkot district in Pakistan.
Keeping in view the ever-increasing rush of the devotees, the Samba district administration and the Border Security Force (BSF) had made elaborate arrangements for the smooth conduct of the mela including traffic regulation, medical facilities, drinking water facility, security arrangements and additional buses to accommodate the rush of pilgrims.
