The Chandrabhaga Fair is one of the most popular and colorful fairs of Orissa. It is held on the seventh day of Magha (January-February) at a beach close to Konark in Orissa for seven days. The fair is held in honor of the sun god, who is said to have cured Sri Krishna's son Shambhu from leprosy. Pilgrims from various parts of India congregate here every year to take a dip in the holy waters and offer their prayers to the sun.

A majority of the believers are from Orissa. However, there are large contingents from West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, and even Madhya Pradesh. Besides these, there are tourists who come to see the famed Sun Temple at Konark. Mendicants too are present in a big but orderly way. They sit in single files along the road and paths that lead to the sanctum and make sure that charity is not overlooked when on a pilgrimage. Some prefer to sing and play devotional songs while moving amongst the assembly.

There is a continuous train of people, which keep coming from the previous morning itself, throughout the day and night until the celebrated daybreak. They come from all directions in various modes of conveyance. Most take the three-kilometer walk from Konark and if the time permits, they see the Sun Temple before proceeding to Chandrabhaga. If not, they stop over on their way back. Along this route, groups halt to collect firewood and to buy black earthen pots. These will be used for cooking after the group has camped around the site for the night.

THE SPECIAL ATTRACTIONS

Hands reverently folded amidst chants of Hari Bol, thousands of devotees wait in the chill for the Sun God to arrive in a blazing chariot pulled by seven horses in divine splendor. The moment for which they had walked miles and spent cold sleepless hours on the beach was soon approaching. As the earth turned a fraction of a degree eastward, the sun's benign rays, dispelling the darkness and the mist, consecrated the patient gathering.

Lending variety and color are numerous mobile vendors. There are toys to tempt children, eats for the hungry and travel-worn, as also amulets and other religious mementos. The kiosks around do brisk business. For tourists, coconut water with soft, delicious kernel is in abundance to quench a parched throat.

Though essentially a religious event, entertainment is provided by dance troupes performing jatra (folk theatre) close to the Sun Temple. These performances go on late into the night. Not wanting to be outdone, the restaurants around Konark blare songs from the latest Hindi films throughout the night to attract customers. As if this is not enough, persons are posted outside the restaurants to persuade passersby into taking a tea break or a midnight meal. An unwary pilgrim surrendering to compulsive hospitality is likely to find himself in one of them, which he no doubt will leave without regrets to continue the onward journey.