Deities return to their abodes as Kullu Dasehra concludes
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu flagged off the Kullu Carnival at the conclusion of seven-day Dasehra festival at Dhalpur here today. More than 600 artistes from six countries, along with cultural troupes from different states, self-help groups and various state departments, participated in the parade at Meena Bazar.
The Chief Minister lauded the efforts of the Kullu Dasehra Festival Committee, especially chairperson and Chief Parliamentary Secretary Sunder Singh Thakur, for improving the standard of the festival. He said efforts will be made to fortify the grandeur of the festival.
On the concluding day, the idols of Lord Raghunath, Sita, Hanuman and other deities were placed on a beautifully decorated wooden chariot called Rath, which was then pulled by thousands of devotees. The palanquins of other deities who participated in the festival accompanied the Rath during the yatra.
The Rath Yatra was carried out from Lord Raghunath’s camp temple, situated in the middle of the Dhalpur ground, to the southern end that is known as the Cattle ground, where the ‘Lanka Dahan’ ceremony was organised.
The wooden chariot was then pulled back to the northern end of the ground known as Rath Maidan and the idols were carried back in palanquins to their sanctum sanctorum in Sultanpur. The deities also returned back to their abodes after the culmination of the festival. This year, as many as 274 deities participated in the festivities.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu announced to increase the travel allowance of deities and honorarium of ‘bajantris’ (traditional bands accompanying the deities) by 20 per cent during the closing ceremony of the seven-day International Kullu Dasehra festival at Kala Kendra here today. He also announced to increase the ‘nazrana’ (honorarium) of deities by 5 per cent.
The Chief Minister said that staff would soon be notified and deputed in the maternal and child health (MCH) section of the Regional Hospital, Kullu. The facility constructed at a cost Rs 12.95 crore having capacity of 100 beds was inaugurated by the then CM Jai Ram Thakur on June 18, 2022, but the appointment of doctors and paramedic staff have not been notified yet.
