Foreign troupes a big hit at Kullu Dasehra celebrations

Abhinav Vashisht

Kullu, October 25

A carnival was held for the first time on the second day of the International Kullu Dasehra festival here today. Foreign troupes from the 15 countries participating in it conducted a cultural parade through the Dasehra ground.

Dressed in their traditional attires, they presented a glimpse of their culture. A few troupes from India and Himachal Pradesh also participated in the parade, leaving the spectators excited and enthralled.

The “Jaleb” (religious procession) of Lord Narsingh was taken out, in which palanquins with various deities — along with the palanquin of “Chharibardar” (chief caretaker) of Lord Raghunath Maheshwar Singh — were carried around the Dasehra ground.

The “Jaleb” ritual will be carried out over the next four days as well. It is believed that Lord Narsingh ensures the security and safety of the people during the festivities.

Bollywood playback singer Saaj Bhatt enthralled the audience with his numbers during the first cultural evening at the open-air auditorium, Kala Kendra, yesterday. The audience danced to his thrilling songs.

Cultural troupes from Russia and Kazakhstan presented a glimpse of the culture and traditions of their countries. The spectators were entertained by the colourful presentations.

The first cultural evening commenced with a ‘shehnai vadan’ by Surajmani. Kullvi Natti was presented by Surya Sanskritik Dal. The audience was entertained by presentations by Budhi Singh Rana, Hitesh Bhargav, Nirmala Devi, Kanu, Maan Chand, Sunita and Om Prakash.

A spectacular performance by a cultural troupe from Chamba left the spectators spellbound. The open-air auditorium was jam-packed as hundreds of foreign and domestic tourists, besides a large number of local residents, had gathered to watch the performances put up by local and visiting artistes.