| KULLU
DUSSEHRA |
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| Celebrated In
: Kullu, Himachal Pradesh |
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| In the month
of : October |
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| Duration : Seven days |
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| More
traditionally, over two hundred deities converge on Kullu for its unusual Dussehra
Celebrations. They pay homage to Lord Raghunathji while Music and colour fill the
"Silver Valley". Dussehra at Kullu commences on the tenth day of the rising
moon, i.e. on 'Vijay Dashmi' day itself and continues in seven days. |
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A
feast of Rhythm and Harmony :
On the first day the idol of Lord Raghunathji saddle on a gaily attired chariot and
attended by village gods mounted in colourful planquins, is pulled from its fixed place in
Dhalpur Maidan to another spot across the Maidan by Big ropes. The pulling of ropes is
regarded sacred by the local people. This forms a huge procession. All the gods of the
valley has to visit Kullu on Dussehra in order to pay homage to Raghunathji. |
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| On the following
days in the mornings and in the evenings the gods are invoked and paraded. The people
remain busy buying, selling, singing and dancing during all the seven days of the
festival, which concluded with the burning of the Lanka. |
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| The chariot of
Raghunathji is taken near the banks of Beas on the last day of the festival where a pile
of wood grass is set on fire, which symbolises the burning of Lanka and is followed by the
sacrifice of chosen animals. |
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| The birth of
Dussehra in Kullu lay in royal fads and it nourished on religious, social and economic
factors and ultimately came to be well established, because of the inborn love of the
hill-men for fun, frolic, displayed in community singing and dancing. Numerous stalls
offer a verity of local wares. This is also the time when the International Folk Festival
is celebrated. |
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