Phalguna Mela

What it is

Phalguna Mela is a fair, that is a gathering at a temple, held in honour of Khatushyam. Two are best known, one at Khatushyam in Rajasthan and one at Bhatli in Odisha. The whole thing sits inside Phalguna in the Hindu calendar, during the waxing fortnight, the days when the moon grows. It comes eight or nine days before Holi, so the two are close together in the year. Devotees travel long distances to be there, and what began as a short gathering now runs for roughly a fortnight.

Origins and history

The story told about the fair ties it to Barbarika, whose head is said to have appeared on Phalguna Shuddha Ekadashi, the eleventh day of Phalguna's bright half. Those who follow him know the deity as Baba. The fair itself began smaller. It ran from the ninth to the twelfth day of the month, and only later was it stretched outwards, so that it now covers about twelve to fifteen days of the bright half. Two temples keep it most famously, one in Rajasthan and one in Odisha.

How it is kept

Pilgrims arrive from all over the country with nishaans, holy flags, carried in their hands. The journey is treated as a sacred one and is marked with singing. Devotees sing bhajans in praise of Shyam, and many bring musical instruments with them on the road. Along the way they play holi with gulal, the coloured powder. Shyam Bhaktas, the devotees of Shyam, set up tents and hand out food to people walking past. The days close with the rites of Dwadashi, the twelfth day of the month.

Food and giving

Sharing food is part of the fair, not an extra. Devotees who follow Shyam, called Shyam Bhaktas, give food to travellers resting in the shade of tents pitched along the route. On Dwadashi, the twelfth day of the month, a bhog is made. Bhog is an offering of food, and here it is Baba's prasadi, food first offered and then shared back among the people who came. It is made of kheer, a sweet rice dish, and churama, and the two are eaten together by those gathered.

Where it is kept

The fair is held at two places in particular. One is at Khatushyam in Rajasthan, the other is at Bhatli in Odisha, and these are named as the famous Phalguna melas. Pilgrims travel to them from many parts of the country. Because the two temples stand far apart, the same days are kept by two separate groups of devotees, each with its own local arrangements for tents, for food and for singing. Each fair carries the name of the month in which it falls.

How Phalguna Mela is kept

Devotees set out for the temple carrying nishaans, the holy flags, in their hands. They treat the walk as a sacred journey and sing as they go, with bhajans to Shyam and musical instruments. On the way they play holi with gulal. Shyam Bhaktas pitch tents and give food to those passing by. On Dwadashi a bhog of kheer and churama is prepared as Baba's prasadi and shared. The fair runs through the bright half of Phalguna, starting eight or nine days before Holi and lasting about twelve to fifteen days.

When and where

It falls during Phalguna, the Hindu month, in the fortnight of the waxing moon, and starts eight or nine days before Holi. The opening day is Phalguna Shuddha Ekadashi, when Barbarika's head is said to have appeared. The fair first ran from the ninth to the twelfth day of the month, and now covers about twelve to fifteen days.

It is kept at the Khatushyam temple in Rajasthan and the Shyam temple at Bhatli in Odisha. These are the two places named as the famous Phalguna melas. Pilgrims come to them from all over the country, walking in with flags and singing. Each temple keeps its own local arrangements for tents, food and instruments, on the same days of the year.

What Phalguna Mela means

For devotees the walk to the temple is a sacred journey, and the nishaan they carry marks it as one. Singing bhajans to Shyam is a way of keeping Baba company along the road, and the gulal of holi is joy shared rather than a game. Handing out food to travellers counts as part of the devotion. The bhog on Dwadashi belongs to Baba, and it comes back to the people as prasadi, so the day ends with everyone eating what was offered first.

Days Phalguna Mela is marked

Questions people ask about Phalguna Mela

See also

Chota Char DhamFour Himalayan shrines in Uttarakhand, visited in one season each yearPretaOfferings and rites for spirits enduring deep hunger across Asian traditions.Kailash Mansarovar YatraA high-altitude pilgrimage to Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar in TibetFire templeA consecrated sanctuary where Zoroastrians tend sacred fires and gather for worship

Good reading and sources

• Phalguna Mela on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• Wikidata recordOpen data

It may contain mistakes. Traditions differ from one family, village and community to the next, and the people who keep them know them best. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-11.