Himachal CM inaugurates 'International Renuka Fair'

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today inaugurated the five-day-long International Renuka Fair in Sirmaur district by receiving the palanquin ofLord Parashuram, and participating in the "shobha yatra" (religious procession).
He also visited the temples of Lord Parashuram and Goddess Renuka and paid obeisance besides performing pooja.
The people of the area, who were dressed in colourful attires, danced to the tunes of traditional music and joined the shobha yatra to welcome the chief deity of the area.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister called for maintaining the sanctity of fairs and festivals and said that these were part of our cultural identity and existence.

It was the duty of every citizen to preserve and maintain the age-old temples of our deities, he said.
He also inaugurated the exhibitions set up on the occasion by different government departments and NGO's showcasing the development activities of the district as well as the state.

The picture exhibition on the life of Virbhadra Singh set up by department of Information and Public Relations drew huge crowds.
The fair is considered to be 5,000 years old and starts from Devprabodhini Ekadashi (eleventh day after Diwali) and devotees take holy dip in Renuka Lake, the biggest natural lake in Himachal on the second day, and the fair comes to an end on "poornima" with departure of palanquin of Lord Parashuram.

Elaborate arrangements have been made for the festival this year and besides free bus services to Renuka, a temporary bridge has been erected on Giri River with the help of the Army to facilitate the devotees.