The Land of Five Rivers, Punjab, is described as the land of the Gurus, Pirs and the Warriors. It is the Cradle of Human Civilization, Sword Arm of India and the Bedrock of Wisdom that emerged out of the confluence of the man and the nature, symbolizing the unity of man, the unity of thought and the unity of spiritual experience. The cultural heritage of the region is not only one of the most ancient but it is also one of the most extensive and varied. To it have contributed, throughout the ages, many races and people, who have either temporarily come into contact with the land of 'Five Rivers', or have permanently settled within her borders and helping to evolve a distinctive Punjabi Culture, the keynote of which is synthesis on the-basis of eternal values.
Fairs or Melas in Punjabi are synonymous with the joy and gaiety; and in the countryside where the life follows a hard routine, nothing is more welcome to the people than the prospect of a festival or a mela. A rural mela in Punjab has a great significance. It is not just an occasion for festivity and mass gathering but it is an unbounded expression of the spirit of the inner freedom, of creative pride, of zest for life, and of colorful traditions of the people of Punjab. People come to participate in fairs from far-off places, trudging dusty distances. Most of the fairs are held in memory of a saint or a pir, and people from all communities living in a village participate in it. Men women and children of all ages, classes and creeds flock in hundreds and enjoy the numerous fascinating features of the fair; races, wrestling bouts, singing, acrobatics, etc. They play on folk instruments, such as vanjli and algoza.
