Four days in Jammu during Jhiri Mela, the great November fair of Baba Jitto, the farmer-saint of the Dogras. You hear his story at Jhiri, where the fair is held, eat your way through the mela and the old city, and spend a day on the Chenab at Akhnoor, where the Dogra state was born.
Festival window · 2026 edition · 23 Nov–2 Dec
Nov
Dates follow the lunar calendar and are confirmed each year.
the festival, in a few words
moments that stay
Spend a full day at Jhiri Mela, one of the biggest folk fairs in North India
Hear the story of Baba Jitto, the 15th-century farmer who stood up to an unjust landlord, told at the temple and Baba da Talab where it happened
Listen to his Karak, the traditional Dogra ballad, sung by local singers at the mela (subject to availability)
Eat your way through the mela: fresh pakoras, jalebi and other fair food, alongside farming families from across the region
Spend a day in Akhnoor at Jia Pota Ghat, where the Dogra state was founded in 1822, then visit Akhnoor Fort and the Ambaran Buddhist site
Eat a home-cooked Dogra lunch of rajma, maah di dal, ambal and kadhi in a village kitchen
Walk Jammu's Old City for kalari kulcha, kachalu and rajma chawal, and start your last morning with City Chowk halwa
Visit Raghunath Mandir, Mubarak Mandi Palace, Bahu Fort and Amar Mahal, the heart of the City of Temples
follow the festival's rhythm
3 nights. 4 days. A valley of stories.
DAY 1
Theme: Raghunath Mandir, Mubarak Mandi Palace and the Old City Food Walk
Meet your host, visit Raghunath Mandir and the royal Mubarak Mandi Palace, then spend the evening on our Old City Food Walk: kalari kulcha, kachalu and rajma chawal.
01 / 04
the people behind the celebration
This journey puts money directly into the hands of the people who keep Baba Jitto's story alive: the Karak singers who sing his ballad, the mela stall-holders, the farming family who cooks your village lunch, the old city food stalls of Jammu and the local hosts who walk you through the mela. We keep groups small, pay without commission and never interrupt rituals or stage anything for the camera.
Cultural travellers · Festival lovers · Folklore and history enthusiasts · Photographers · Food lovers · Families and diaspora guests from Jammu who want to return to the mela · Anyone who wants to see a real folk fair, not a staged show.
a little curiosity goes a long way
before you pack your bags
Jhiri Mela is held every year around Kartik Purnima, which falls on 24 November in 2026. The fair runs for about a week or more. The official dates are announced by the Jammu administration, and we fix the departure to match them.
Baba Jitto was a 15th-century farmer from Aghar village near Katra. He gave his life protesting a landlord who broke their agreement on his harvest. He is honoured as the folk-saint of Jammu's farmers, and Jhiri Mela is held in his memory.
Jhiri is a village about 20 km from Jammu city on the Jammu–Akhnoor road.
A Karak is a traditional Dogra ballad that tells the life of a folk hero or saint. It is sung by hereditary singers. Baba Jitto's Karak has carried his story for centuries.
Yes, it is very crowded, especially on the main days. We visit early, stay with you at all times and plan rest stops. Seniors and children manage well at this pace.
Yes. Katra is about 50 km from Jammu, so you can add a night there for the Vaishno Devi yatra.
Most meals are vegetarian. Tell us about allergies or preferences when you book.
Yes, outdoors. Please ask before photographing people bathing or praying, and follow your host's guidance inside the temple.
Yes. The Baba Jitto temple at Jhiri is open all year, so the story-led tour runs on other dates too. The fair itself happens only in November.
another place, another story
letters from this corner of India
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