01Guru’s village
Gurugram means the guru’s village. The tradition of the town says that this land was given by the Kuru house to Dronacharya as gurudakshina, and that his wife Kripi, sister of Kripacharya, was known for her care of children in sickness; after her, the people worshipped her as Sheetla Mata, the Devi who cools the fever of smallpox and guards the young. The temple stands beside a large tank on the old town’s edge.
02The Chaitra mela
The biggest gathering comes in Chaitra, with a second in Ashvin; on Mondays and Tuesdays of those months the lanes of old Gurugram are packed from before dawn. Mundan, a child’s first haircut, is done here by families from across Haryana, Delhi and Rajasthan, and newly married couples come for the Devi’s blessing. Basoda, the day of stale food offered to Sheetla, is kept with special care.
On Sheetla Mata Road in old Gurugram, about 3 km from the Gurugram railway station; very crowded in Chaitra.
