NAGNI MATA MELA

 Ladori remained gripped in festival fever during June to August when Nagni Mata Melas are held.  People from places as far as Chamba, Chowari and other villages of Bhatyat region of Himachal Pradesh,  also used to visit Nagni via Ladori regularly.

 In those days, it took two to three days' time to reach Nagni on  foot with halts at a number of places on the way.  During the mela season, hundreds of families consisting of both young and old, clad in their best and colorful regional and traditional attires, walked through 'Hattian'.  A lot many used to stay in the Dharamshala situated in the middle of Hattian for an overnight halt to overcome fatigue.  Shop keepers and vendors of Ladori, during the mela season had a busy schedule with soaring business.

There used to be hustle and bustle in the village due to number of guests coming to the village during rainy season.  While some of them  came for enjoying trekking, sight seeing, making fun and frolic and for the purpose of excursion and picnic,  others came for paying obeisance at Nagni Mata Shrine on fulfillment of their wishes and yet there were still others who visited Nagni  with the intention of selling their wares and shopping for local novelties.

 Nagni has always been considered a sacred place as Nagni Goddess has blessed the people of the area with Her permanent abode here in a very beautiful downhill valley of flowers, fruits and springs surrounded by steep vertical heights, which is located on the Pathankot-Dharamsala highway near Bhadwar, about seven kilometers from historic town of Nurpur and at the similar distance from  Village Ladori via Bhadwar.

 Nagni shrine is famous and revered not only in the region but whole of Himachal Pradesh including North India.  It is believed that if a person bitten by a snake is brought to the Nagni shrine immediately, he would find himself fit and fine with the divine powers of Goddess within a weeks' time.  There has not so far any instance to mention where any death has occurred after the arrival of a patient at the Nagni Mata's Thaan!

 Besides kheel-vatashe, Karah Prashad (Sanctified Halwa) is distributed among the devotees and neighborhood, but unique and rare prashad of 'Mitti' is considered to be  more precious possession by all those who believe in the Goddess Nagni. It is believed that prashad of Mitti is meant for applying on the wound created  by a snake bite during intermediary period when the patient is being brought to Nagni Mata.

 There are altogether eight melas (Baar) at Nagni in the month of July-August, on each Saturday.  Hundreds of thousands of devotees from all over the country used to visit Nagni Mata throughout the year until recent past.

 Present day life style has, however, restricted people from  venturing out for events such as melas which were quite dear to everyone in their childhood!
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                                            LADORI AND THE JABBAR KHAD

      

        Ladori, a small Hmachali village in Tehsil Nurpur, District Kangra, is situated at twelve kilometers north of historic town, Nurpur,  in the foothills of majestic dhauladhar mountain ranges, which are popularly known as Hathi Dhar and Choti Dhar.  While these mountain ranges are scantly but densely covered with khair, scented pine and fragrant cedar forests in the north, a skyline of Himalayan snow capped peaks overlooks the village from far northeastern horizon

        The all weather sweet water Jabbar Khad flows in a zigzag manner on a rocky bed through down deep narrow gorge created by its seasonal gushing currents over the centuries gone by leaving steep banks rising vertically on either side of the Khadd.  This Khad can be considered as the lifeline of the villages and hamlets situated on its banks.  At Ladori, it flows at a stone's throw distance deep downwards from the human habitat. 

        One has to trek up and down carefully on the stony track to and from the rivulet.  While passing through the village, one can see that the khad has fondly been nicknamed as Upli Jabbar and Chikly Jabbar.  Upli Jabbar is generally frequented by Pathanias (Mians) as it falls within their easy reach on their side of the village.  During rainy season, Jabbar is swollen to its fullest capacity and bring along with it whatever came its way, be it logs, uprooted trees or for that matter hapless cattle caught unaware in the current.  Being a hilly rivulet, Jabbar Khadd has not ever caused much damage to the villages and clusters falling within its reach.

        Atte-da-Bagh with rare varieties of deshi mango trees, ponds of crystal clear and refreshing cool water, cascading water falls, green foliage all around, playing and chirping of various species of birds, biggest being the Mor and the smallest in the birds found in Ladori, affectionately called in pahadi dialect as Piddu.  Colorful quick smart butterflies playing on wild flowers. a solitary peacock crying at the far end of the Khadiyater Meadow, goats and sheep along with their siblings enjoying grazing on ever green thorny garna and maliyar bush leaves.

        Shiv Doala under an old huge Arjuna Tree, hanuman mandirs and number of huge and centuries old Barr, Plash and Peepal trees grace the clean and ever fresh environment here.

        Chikly Jabbar is mainly visited by both men and women folk of brahmins and others.  The eye catching scenery, water falls, springs of warm water, built up bath rooms, sprawling ancient mango groves, lush green hillocks all around, village cattle herds resting under the cool shade of mango trees while village shepherd trying to tune up his improvised flute (Gangoju), groups of monkeys fly jumping from one tree to another, intermittent barking noise of Kakkar (wild got) far away in Charoa, clean, cool and fresh breeze attract people of all ages to this panoramic spot.  Women and children from the other side of Chikly Jabbar, a cluster of hamlets situated straight up on a high ground from the Jabbar Khad at Charoa stretching towards Meharka also used to come down here for taking drinking water for themselves and their cattle.

LADORI AND ITS MAIN FEATURES

                                                  LADORI AND ITS MAIN FEATURES

 Living conditions and way of life of inhabitants of a particular region, mainly depends on the historical, political, cultural, geographical, topographical,  river and ground water network, forest cover and other required elements of socio-economic conditions, prevailing religious and social customs, wind pattern and quantum of rainfall that brings about regular and timely changes in growth and preservation of forest cover, and my village Ladori is not an exception. If the area is cold, the life style of the people would be according to the prevailing conditions. Similarly, if the region, in question, is of hot nature, then the life style and needs of the people would be according to that.

 My Village Ladori though, situated in an hilly area in isolation, it can still be compared with the normal weather conditions as prevailing in general area Pathankot. Ladori Village has very comfortable seasonal conditions. Situated down in the foothills of Choti Dhar of Dhauladhar mountain ranges, my village is blessed with all weather sweet water Jabbar Khad flowing continuously 365 days a year, since times immemorial,  which is considered a lifeline of Ladori residents!

 Ladori is a green village. It is privileged with big and small but dense desi mango orchards, all around the village. Apart from desi mango trees in plenty, other trees like barr, plakh, peeple, neem jamun, simble, sheesham , shehtoot,  all types of citric fruit trees like nimbu, galgal tarunj, ghamiree, orange, kinnu, mithu, chakodra can be seen in the kitchen garden of each household. Fruit tree like amrood, peach, jamun, ber, lukaat, anaar, kalmi aam, leechi, aalu bukhara, kela etc are grown in  abundance.

Ladori is neither very cold or hot. All the seasons are friendly. Due to its location, the residents are required to get to exertion for going up and downhill for daily needs thereby keeping fit and healthy due to long up and down hill walks.  

The village is a bunch of various common places named by our ancestors keeping in view the meaning and significance of the place, from time to time, in and around the village, which would be interesting to note, given as under :-

 Gosain-da-Bagh, Khadiyater, Lehra, Dhole-da-Naal, Kyara, Naale-Paar, Behra, Baradari, Ghare-da-Amb, Hattian, Peere-da-Lahru, Upla Maira, Chikla Maira, Jharnuie, Chuie-di-Ambi, Zaildare-da-Bagh, Badian-da-Naal, Chharde-da-Naal, Sudiali, Ghaluin, Darkali and Johdan are some of the prominent nicknames which all coming together, make our village Ladori.

 Ladori is now connected by pucca road with Nurpur town, Chamba-Chowari via Danni-Mallkuwal and with the rest of Himachal Pradesh via Nurpur -Ladori- Bhadwar-Nurpur.  This has greatly helped in making the daily life of the residents of the area easy-going as compared to the harrowing and difficult past.  With the increase of vehicular traffic in the village, transport problem has considerably been reduced, whether it is for commuters, social and community functions, school going children or for transportation of dry rations, perishable fresh fruits and vegetables, utility goods and building materials.

 During the tough old days, it was considered to be an herculean task and mission at war to reach Nurpur town when one had to trek down, on foot, all the way on a pony track, sometimes with the loads on heads, right from Upla Maira, Chikla Maira, Ghaluin-di-Kuwali, Ternian-da-Thadd, Tootan-di-Khabli, Hindora Gharat,Thanda Soota, Teena-da-Gharat, Telian-da-Pind, Harda-da-Pul, Letria-da-Soota, Sadhramane-di-Charai then Nurpure da Chaugaan and vice versa - phew!

 Crossing of winding Jabbar Khad at more than fifteen points, time and again wading through knee deep water or sometimes on stepping stones carrying shoes in hand and pyjamas rolled up beyond knees, sometimes taken out altogether and thrown over the shoulders.  At times, one had to walk on the hot sands in scorching hot summer days with soaring temperatures reaching as high as 45 Degrees C or more!