Things to do in Chamba — 6 stops, and which need a car
Five things to do in Chamba, sorted by distance from the old town, with measured drive times to the hill temple and to Chhatrari, and when to go.
ArticleVerified 2026-10-23
The fairs of Chamba — the Minjar Mela in July and the Suhi Mata Mela in spring
Chamba's two fairs: the Minjar Mela, a week in July at the maize harvest, with a procession and a market on the Chaugan, and the Suhi Mata Mela in spring.
Two fairs, one town
Chamba keeps two great fairs a year, and both centre on the town's long green, the Chaugan. Wikipedia's article on the town calls them jatras: at each, the chela, the deity's medium, goes into trance and answers the questions and prayers of the devotees. The Minjar Mela comes in the monsoon, the Suhi Mata Mela in spring.
Photos: Ms Sarah Welch (CC0) · Ms Sarah Welch (CC0) — via Wikimedia Commons, resized.
The Minjar Mela
Wikipedia's article on the fair, which the state treats as an international fair, puts it in July, for about a week, at the maize harvest, with rituals for a good crop. The word minjar means the silk tassels people wear, which shine in the sun like maize in flower. A procession winds through the town with a decorated chariot, folk singers and dancers and people in the old dress of the hills, and the whole Chaugan becomes a market.
The fair goes back to the 10th century and remembers the victory of King Sahila Varman, who founded Chamba, over the ruler of Kangra. A second story ties it to the Hari Rai Temple: the fair marks the moment the Raja turned the course of the Ravi so that all his people could reach the temple.
The dates. Two Wikipedia articles disagree. The article on the fair says July; the article on the town says 21 days from the first day of Baisakhi, which falls in April. The photographs of the procession on Wikimedia Commons are dated the last week of July, which agrees with July. Ask the district administration or your hotel for the year's dates before you plan around it.
The Suhi Mata Mela
The Suhi Mata Mela is held each year in March and April, for four days. It honours the queen of Raja Sahil Varman, who gave her own life so that water would flow to the town, and the Sui Mata temple stands in her memory. Songs and dances are part of it; Wikipedia's article on Chamba shows Gaddi women dancing at the fair.
Around the fairs
The Lakshmi Narayan temples and the Champavati Temple stand a short walk from the Chaugan; the one-day old-town plan links them. For the weather in each month, see the best time to visit Chamba, and for the roads, how to reach Chamba.
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Questions people ask
When is the Minjar Mela in Chamba?
In July, for about a week, according to Wikipedia's article on the fair, which ties it to the maize harvest; photographs of the procession on Wikimedia Commons are dated the last week of July. Wikipedia's article on Chamba gives an older account of 21 days from Baisakhi, so confirm the year's dates locally.
What happens at the Minjar Mela?
A procession through the town with a decorated chariot, folk music and dance, and people in traditional dress, and a market that takes over the whole Chaugan. The fair goes back to the 10th century and remembers King Sahila Varman's victory over the ruler of Kangra.
What is the Suhi Mata Mela?
A four-day fair held each year in March and April to honour the queen of Raja Sahil Varman, who gave her life so that water would come to the town. The Sui Mata temple stands in her memory, and songs and dances by the women of the hills are part of the fair.