How India is Home to World’s Oldest Ghost Fair

Hues of brightly coloured stalls, adorned with the infectious giggles and chatter of people riding on the ferris wheels and rides—this is what our mind paints whenever we hear the word “fair” or “mela” in Hindi. All fairs, from book fairs to handloom fairs to food fairs and countless others, despite being different in their structures, are based on the same underlying principle: fun. However, for the villagers of Malajpur, Madhya Pradesh, “mela” has a totally different connotation.

A woman supposedly possessed by a ghost is in a state of trance and lies on a sacred platform at the ghost fair in Madhya Pradesh, India. (Credits: India Today)

Featuring evil spirits, exorcisms, and a temple, the Ghost Fair, or “Bhooton Ka Mela” in the village, will challenge your preconceptions of what a fair can be. Home to the spooky ghost fair, the Malajpur temple in Malajpur, in the Betual district of Madhya Pradesh, has been witnessing this fair for at least the past 400 years. Considered to be the nightmare for evil spirits and the safe haven for the possessed, the ghost fair, which takes place in December-January every year, attracts thousands of visitors from across the country and abroad.

HISTORY OF THE GHOST FAIR

Finding its roots in the local folklore of the village, the ghost fair is believed to have been initiated in 1770 by a saint named Guru Baba Saheb, who resided in Malajpur itself. Known far and wide for his spirituality and healing powers, individuals from different parts of the country used to visit him for guidance. A legend narrated to every child in Malajpur is how Baba Saheb had the ability to turn soil into jaggery and stones into coconut.

Started in the 18th century by Guru Baba Saheb (Deoji Maharaj), the ‘Bhooton Ka Mela’ attracts thousands of visitors every year. (Credits: China Daily)

Almost soon after such miraculous incidents, he gained recognition for his God-given abilities, which allowed him to capture evil forces and free victims from their clutches. Hundreds of families flocked to this small village in Madhya Pradesh during the annual ghost fair, seeking the blessings of Baba Saheb, who became well-known as ‘Deoji Maharaj’, which translates to the ‘King of Priests’. Many villagers believe that it was Baba Saheb’s magical abilities that rescued their ancestors from possession by evil spirits. The Malajpur Temple, symbolic of the ghost fair’s spiritual core, was constructed not far from the banyan tree where Baba Saheb is believed to have breathed his last while meditating and been laid to rest. Those who are regarded as being the successors of Baba Saheb are the ones who are tasked with the responsibility of carrying out the exorcisms in contemporary times at the ghost fair.

THE HEART OF THE GHOST FAIR: MALAJPUR TEMPLE 

The Malajpur Temple near Chicholi in Betul witnesses the annual ghost fair every year in December-January. (Credits: Navbharat Times)

In the winter months of December and January, the normally peaceful temple that houses the tombstone of the famous saint Guru Baba Saheb becomes overrun with visitors. The Malajpur temple in the village echoes with the screams of the possessed and the prayers of the victim’s relatives during the annual ghost fair, which commences on the new moon night (Amavasya) in December. This fair continues until the subsequent full moon (Magh Purnima) in January, which, according to the Hindu calendar, is considered the holiest night of the year. In addition to those seeking healing, there are also many onlookers who come to watch the pandits (priests) perform exorcisms.

WHAT HAPPENS AT THE GHOST FAIR? 

Acting as a beacon of hope for many within and outside the country, this ghost fair is one of its kind, considering individuals possessed by evil spirits can be freed on such a large scale. At the end of December, people start crowding into the Malajpur temple and bringing their loved ones, whom they believe to be under the influence of evil spirits. Relatives claim that evil possession manifested itself in their relatives through the reddening of their eyes, a cacophonous voice, violent head shaking, and a petrifying look on their faces. Some accounts even detail how the possessed people physically attacked their near and dear ones, bringing them emotional and psychological distress.

To cure loved ones whom they believe to be possessed by evil spirits, devotees travel from across the nation to the fair. (Credits: World Crunch)

Carried out by the descendants of Guru Baba Saheb, the exorcisms at the ghost fair take place after the sun sets down. Despite the possessed individual’s repeated, hesitant screams, their family members are asked to bring them to the temple grounds for the exorcisms by the pandits. One might be able to differentiate the victims from the crowd through their unearthly screams and erratic body movements. The possessed person is then taken to the head pandit, who is believed to have the ability to cast out the evil spirit tormenting the individual. The exorcism procedure begins once the victim reaches the seat of the head pandit, who, under most circumstances, is a male.

Taking hold of the possessed individual’s hair, the head pandit first interrogates the evil spirit about its whereabouts. Questions like “What is your name?”, “Where are you from?” and “What do you want?” are asked of nearly every victim there. While many evil spirits answer immediately, some are reluctant to share details and keep their mouths shut. In cases concerning the latter, the head priest places an ash-like substance on the forehead of the victim and thrashes him/her with the broom placed nearby while chanting “Guru Maharaj Deoji ki Jai!”. According to belief, thrashing with the broom makes the evil spirit weaker.

Once the evil spirit confesses their details and motive, the head pandit orders them to leave the body of the victim immediately. Furthermore, it is threatened that if it comes back, it will be forced to drink water from the home of someone from a lower caste. The evil spirit is then told to pick any one of the three banyan tree on the temple grounds to spend all of eternity in. For the spirit’s smooth departure, a path leading to the banyan trees is kept empty, close to where the head pandit sits. As soon as the evil spirit is thought to have left the victim’s body, the victim becomes unconscious and falls down. Water from the Ganges (Gangajal) is sprinkled on the victim to help them regain consciousness. The victim wakes up and recalls nothing of the events that transpired in the preceding minutes. Rarely do victims come back “untreated,” such is the power held by this ghost fair.

But what really gives this ghost fair its chills are the many spine-chilling episodes that occur before and during the exorcisms. “Ghost attacks,” in which people act normally one minute before acting strangely the next, are common sights for fairgoers to see. In certain cases, even spectators become victims of these attacks. Because of this, a strict rule is enforced during the ghost fair: no one is allowed to walk under the three banyan trees, which become the home for ghosts after an exorcism. This is done so that the worshippers and visitors will not fall prey to these evil spirits. It appears that women are disproportionately affected by these malevolent entities. Women say the priests of the Malajpur temple, are “emotionally weak” and therefore vulnerable to possession by these spirits.

The aggressive behaviour that is carried out towards the victims, which includes the use of physical violence to expel the evil spirits, has attracted the concern of various human rights organisations. Because of the inhumane treatment that is given to the victims at this ghost fair, activists have been working to put a stop to it. Numerous psychologists have shared their thoughts on this topic, and most of them agree that the majority of victims are suffering from some form of mental illness, like schizophrenia or anxiety, for example. The tension that exists between religious belief and scientific investigation is most clear in this ghost fair.

OTHER INDIAN GHOST FAIRS

If you were under the impression that the ghost fair held in Malajpur is the only one of its kind in India, you are mistaken. Nowadays, local ghost fairs can be found taking place in the backwoods of villages located in different states of the country. ‘Ghinahu Brahm Mela’, a week-long ghost fair held in the Natwar village of Bihar during Durga Puja, is considered the ‘supreme court for spirits’ by the priests carrying out exorcisms there. Tantrics and sorcerers can be seen dancing in a trance-like position while offering their prayers to the divine during the ghost fair, which causes the entire village to come alive at night. An annual ghost fair is also organised in the Barhi village of Uttar Pradesh. The fair not only sets free individuals who have been possessed by evil spirits but also fulfils any desires that other attendees may have.

It is indeed fascinating to see how many people still believe in ghost fairs and alternative healing practices in the 21st century, despite heated debates about their legitimacy.

REFERENCES

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2. Siddiqui, D. (2013). Exorcism at the ghost fair. Reuters. [online] 5 Feb. Available at: https://www.reuters.com/article/idIN63187084720130205
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6. News18. (2022). A Ghost Fair? Yes, It’s Held Every Year In This Uttar Pradesh Village. [online] Available at: https://www.news18.com/news/buzz/a-ghost-fair-yes-its-held-every-year-in-this-uttar-pradesh-village-6309865.html