Hamirpur, February 6
After a five-day “panchak” lull, returning officers (ROs) and assistant returning officers (AROs), had a busy afternoon today as candidates of almost all major political parties, waiting for the “auspicious time” to start, turned up in huge processions to file their nomination papers throughout the state today.

Himachalis, known for their simplicity and deep faith in religion, are also highly superstitious. Though the “inauspicious planetary configurations of panchak primarily concern death, many consider it inauspicious to start anything new during panchak days”, says Mr J.N. Shastri, a teacher, holding that “death in panchak is considered a bad omen”.

Since Saturday last, reveal election officials, hardly any candidate of eminence filed his nomination papers. At Mair on the Bilaspur-Hamirpur Road, a group of BJP workers had gathered to greet their candidate, Mr I.D. Dhiman, Education Minister in the Dhumal Government, who wanted to file his nomination papers at 12.03 p.m. today, immediately after the “auspicious time” to begin anything new started.

It was not Mr Dhiman alone. Many others, including some from his own party — Mr Jai Parkash Nadda and Mr Randhir Sharma — besides Mr Gian Chand Rattan (Himachal Vikas Party) and Dr Biru Ram Kishore (Independent) were also waiting for the “auspicious time” to begin before they could file their nominations.

The result was obvious. Massive processions virtually choked the Bilaspur-Hamirpur state highway. At Ghumarwin and again at Kandraur, vehicular traffic had virtually come to a standstill. When Mr Gian Chand Rattan arrived to file his nomination papers at Ghumarwin, Dr Biru Ram Kishore, a former MLA and an Independent candidate this time, was already there with a large number of supporters.

A couple of miles towards Hamirpur, Mr I.D. Dhiman (BJP) was moving in an impressive cavalcade .Unlike Punjab, perhaps no movie cameras are pressed into service by the returning officer to ensure that the “three-vehicle” guideline was religiously followed by the contestants.

At Bilaspur, the situation was no different. Candidates of the BJP, the Congress and the HVC had also displayed their strength in organising big cavalcades to the offices of the ROs and the AROs. In many cases, the candidates were profusely garlanded by their supporters. Interestingly, women outnumbered men in these processions. A couple of candidates had brought drummers also.

Supporters of the candidates, though mostly ignorant about what “panchak” was all about, said that their candidates after consulting their astrologers were waiting for the “auspicious” time to start before they could file their papers at the exact time suggested to them by their astrologers, numerologists, “jyotshis” and even pundits.

“An average Himachali is very particular about the opportune moment to start something new. He or she will get the “mahurat’ time calculated by sooth sayers he or she trusts and strictly abide by that. It is why hardly any nomination papers were filed between Saturday last and until mid-day today the moment the panchak ended, all have been out to file their nominations,” remarked Mr Ram Chand, a supporter of Mr I.D. Dhiman at Mair.

Interestingly, a number of pundits contacted by The Tribune, both in Hamirpur and Bilaspur, could not throw any light about what makes “panchak inauspicious”. All they could say was that death during “panchak” is a bad omen .