Samba, Jun 26, 2025: Nearly 30,000 devotees from across Jammu and Kashmir and other parts of the country gathered at the revered shrine of Baba Chamliyal, located near the International Border (IB) in Samba district, for the annual mela on Thursday, officials said.
The shrine of Baba Dalip Singh Manhas, popularly known as Baba Chamliyal, has long symbolized Indo-Pakistani harmony. However, cross-border participation ceased after June 2018, following the killing of four BSF personnel in unprovoked firing.
The annual mela began with a pre-dawn ceremony, where Alkesh Kumar Sinha, Commandant of the 101 BSF Battalion, offered a ‘chadar’ at the saint’s grave, as per tradition. “This 322-year-old shrine holds deep spiritual significance. I arrived last night to take part in early morning prayers,” he told reporters.
Sinha added that the district administration, shrine committee, and BSF coordinated efforts to ensure the smooth conduct of the festival. Security was heightened along the border for the occasion.
Shrine Committee head Charan Das expressed gratitude for the peaceful conclusion of the mela and praised local volunteers for their dedicated service over the past two weeks to accommodate the large influx of devotees.
