Falling victim to strained relations between India and Pakistan for second year in a row, the annual Chamliyal mela on the international border in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ramgarh sector on Thursday too, was celebrated without the exchange of traditional Shakkar (soil) and Sharbat (water) from the shrine of Baba Dalip Singh with the neighbouring country. "There hasn’t been any formal communication between Pakistan Rangers and the BSF on this year’s Chamliyal Mela," said a senior BSF official. As no delegation came from Pakistan, there was no exchange of Chhadar, Shakkar and Sharbat between the two sides, he added. Last year, while Pakistani Rangers did not bring Chhadar for the shrine of Baba Dalip Singh, their Indian counterpart too did not send Shakkar and Sharbat to devotees across the border. However, a nearly 70-year-old practice since 1947 partition was suspended for the first time in 2018 in the wake of tension between the two countries following the snipping of four BSF soldiers including an Assistant Commandant by Pakistani Rangers in the area a week before the mela. However, thousands of devotees on the Indian side paid obeisance at the shrine of Baba Chamliyal during the day. Revered by Hindus and Muslims on both sides of the international border, the legend is that Baba’s real name was Dalip Singh Manhas and he lived over 300 years ago on the outskirts of a village Saidawali, now in Pakistan. As his popularity grew, his opponents beheaded him during the night and buried him. During partition, the place where he was killed was handed to Pakistan along with the Saidawali village, while the place where his body was buried remained with India. His devotees believe that the soil and water from the area around his shrine have medicinal value and if applied can cure skin ailments. The devotees on Pakistan side have built a replica of the Chamliyal Baba’s shrine. They gather on their side near the International Border during the third week of June. While they send chaddar for the Baba’s shrine on Indian side, soil and water from here is sent in tractor trolleys and tankers to them across the border.
