Himachal’s 17th century fair falls prey to modernism

RAMPUR - Himachal Pradesh’s decades-old Lavi Fair that concluded in this town of Shimla district Sunday seems to have lost its traditional charm.

The fair, synonymous with trade in traditional items like hand-knitted woollens, farm implements, horses, yaks, sheep and dry fruits, saw the invasion of modernism.

The fair dates back to the 17th century when Raja Kehari Singh of Rampur Bushahr state signed a treaty to promote trade with Tibet. Rampur, 120 km from Shimla, was once a major trade centre as it is located on the old silk route connecting Afghanistan, Tibet and Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir.

“The state is not isolated from modern winds of change sweeping across the hills. Even the Lavi Fair has undergone a sea change and lost its identity of tribal fair,” octogenarian Deep Ram, a local trader, told IANS.

He said traditional items took a backseat and were replaced with ready-made garments, electronic goods, modern gadgets and luxury sedans in the four-day fair that began Thursday.

Himachal Pradesh language, art and culture department director Prem Sharma told IANS that the fair was once popular for trading raw wool, dry fruits, butter, spices, farm implements and livestock, especially surefooted Chamurthi horses.

He said that for centuries the traders from Tibet used to visit the fair for buying goods from the people of Kinnaur and Lahaul and Spiti districts. The locals in return bought mainly salt from Tibetan traders.

“Now, traders from across the border have stopped coming and the locals are no longer dependent mainly on traditional avocations for livelihood. The production of raw wool, hand-woven woollens and spices has declined,” Sharma said.

The main attraction during the fair this year was Chamurthi horses of the Spiti Valley.

“A good number of Chamurthi horses were sold. But this year’s sale has dipped massively as compared to that in the early 1990s,” trader Shiv Singh said.

A horse fetched up to Rs.40,000, he added.

Earlier, Chamurthi horses were used to carry goods across the Himalayas from Tibet to Nepal and India and they were much in demand.

Deputy Commissioner J.S. Rana, the organiser of the fair, said this year stalls of handicrafts, carpets, spices and dry fruits were there but four-wheelers and electronic goods were much in demand due to good apple yield in the region.

“In monetary terms, the fair saw business worth crores of rupees,” he added.