Sudershan Thakur, Udaipur (Lahaul Spiti): Yor fair is one of the most famous fair of Lahaul celebrated in the Madgram region of Lahaul Spiti district. Yor fair held in the month of March after 15 days of Fagli Festival of Lahaul and is held in the `Sao’ (village common land for customary rituals). In earlier time Madgram was a part of Chamba Kingdom and was famous for trading center. Yor Fair is being celebrated from 500 years.
This year festival held in 2nd March to 4th March for the period of three days. Many local residents and visitors from Lahaul come to see the Traditional wooden mask performance. YOR fair shows the ancient culture of Lahaul Spiti.
This fair is symbol of remembering forefathers & ancestors and offering them `yora’ (Flowers). This fair was celebrated at the time of Raja Uday Singh of Chamba. Yor fair is a symbol of relief and peace. This festival creates a happiness environment.
The royal family of Madgram Thakurs was seen attired in regal clothes to perform the Yor rituals.
Vikas Thakur, a Local Resident of Koraki, who had been waiting for this cultural event for a long time, enthused, “I am back here in Lahaul in winters after more than 10 years. Every aspect of the festivity has a lot of meaning.”
Shiv Kumar a well -known Wild & Nature Photographer said, “I’ve never such richness in culture. I cannot explain my feelings. Right now I am only concentrating on capturing everything on my camera.” Another well known Freelancer nature Photo journalist Rajesh Baba, who was in Madgram to cover the Yor festivity, was standing on a rooftop to get a perfect shot of the procession.
The Yor Fair celebrations in Madgram started in during the reign of the then ruler Raja Uday Singh of Chamba and Thakur Vijay Chand of Royal Family of Madgram Thakurs.
