HP CM Office Joins Minjar Mela, Offers Prayers to Ravi River
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Centuries-old ritual, one sacred river, one enduring prayer — for a good harvest and a prosperous land. The Chief Minister's Office of Himachal Pradesh on Sunday, 2 August 2026 participated in the Minjar festival, offering the traditional minjar to the Ravi River with prayers for peace, prosperity, and abundant crops across the state and the nation.
The post, shared by @CMOFFICEHP, described the ritual in the original Hindi: 'Minjar ko Ravi nadi ko samarpit kar pradesh aur desh ki sukh-shanti, samridhi tatha achhi fasal ki kamna ki' — 'Offered the minjar to the Ravi River, praying for peace, prosperity, and good crops for the state and the nation.'
Who Stood at the Riverbank
The ceremony drew senior state figures. Kuldeep Singh Pathania, Speaker of the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly, attended alongside Bhawani Singh Pathania, Vice Chairman of the Himachal Pradesh State Planning Board. Legislators Neeraj Nayyar and Hardeep Bawa, and Chamba District Congress President Surjit Bharmouri were also present at the occasion.
The Minjar Ritual and What It Means for Chamba
The Minjar Mela is one of Chamba district's most storied traditions — an annual harvest festival observed for centuries in the hill district of Himachal Pradesh. At its heart is the offering of minjar flowers to the Ravi River, which originates in the region, as a prayer for fertile fields and communal well-being. Farmers and residents of Chamba regard the ritual as the spiritual anchor of the agricultural calendar.
Himachal Pradesh governments have long participated in this festival, reinforcing the state's commitment to cultural continuity and its recognition of farming communities in the hill districts. The Ravi River, central to the region's ecology and livelihoods, becomes, for this moment, the vessel of collective hope.