Background
Gabar Singh Negi was born at Manjood village near Chamba, Tehri Garhwal district, Uttarakhand India.
Gabar Singh Negi was born at Manjood village near Chamba, Tehri Garhwal district, Uttarakhand India.
He joined The Garhwal Rifles in October 1913. The citation reads:
Number. 1685 Rifleman Gabar Sing Negi, 2nd Battalion, 39th Garhwal Rifles.
Foreign most conspicuous bravery on 10th March, 1915, at Neuve Chapelle.
During our attack on the German position he was one of a bayonet party with bombs who entered their main trench, and was the first man to go round each traverse, driving back the enemy until they were eventually forced to surrender. He was killed during this engagement.
His name is recorded on the Neuve-Chapelle Memorial, as Gobar Sing Negi. The Gabar Singh Negi Fair is held annually in his memory in Chamba.
In 1971, the Garhwal Rifles adopted the Fair, to give it a much-needed boost.
A memorial was constructed. And with the inclusion of army traditions in the ceremonies, the Fair started attracting villagers from far and near to pay their homage to this brave soldier. This is the only fair of its kind in the state.
The other feature of the fair is the recruitment rally conducted by the Garhwal Rifles Regimental Centre.
"The villagers, specially the youths, attend this fair because of the recruitment rally," states Kunwar Prasoon, writer