The annual Bhed Mata Mela is a camel fair that takes place on the hills of Sanosara. Sanosara is a small village roughly 35 km off Bhuj, in the Kutch district of Gujarat. The camel fair takes place in September.
What is unique about this fair?
While there are plenty of livestock fairs in the country, the camel fair here is different. This fair is closely linked to the worship of Bhed Mata.The Kachhi Rabaris take the blessings of this goddess for a bountiful year and good health of humans and camels.
The Rabaris are a nomadic community who originally belonged to Rajasthan. The community depends solely on camels for a living. They follow the rain in search of good pasture for cattle and travel east from Gujarat to Rajasthan and go well into Uttar Pradesh. During the Mela, they take part in the making of “Kheer” prasad, which is made of camel milk.
Normally, the Kutch region of Gujarat receives very less rain, making it highly likely for people to migrate with their camel. But this year’s incessant rains has been good for Kacchi Rabaris.
