Kullu Dasehra: Local culture showcased on concluding day

Abhinav Vashisht

Kullu, October 30

The cultural troupes from Kullu and Himachal took out a parade along with international groups on the concluding day of the seven-day-long Kullu Dasehra festival at Dhalpur here today.

About 2,000 women dressed in traditional attires presented a glimpse of local culture. Tableaux of various departments showcased the development works. The parade started from the Rath Ground and went through the Mall Road till Kala Kendra. The viewers were enthralled and the event, which was held for the first time during the festival, was lauded by one and all.

The Rath Yatra was carried out from the camp temple of Lord Raghunath situated in the middle of the Dhalpur ground to the southern end, known as the Cattle ground, to perform the ‘Lanka Dahan’ ceremony on the concluding day of the festival. The idols of Lord Raghunath, Sita, Hanuman and other deities were placed on the beautifully decorated wooden chariot called Rath, which was pulled by thousands of devotees. The palanquins of the deities participating in the festival accompanied the Rath during the yatra.

Earlier before 2014, sacrifices of different animals were made to appease the Goddess Kali on the culmination of the festival. It was believed to mark the end of Ravana and his allies. According to tradition, the sacrifice of a male buffalo, a male lamb, a cock, a crab and a fish was made earlier but now the ritual is carried out by sacrificing a coconut and other offerings after the animal sacrifice at religious places was banned in 2014 by Himachal Pradesh High Court. The sacrifices were made to put an end to evils like ‘krodha’, ‘madh’, ‘kama’, ‘moha’ and ‘lobha’.

The wooden chariot was then pulled back to the northern end of the ground known as Rath Maidan. Later, 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 time 317 deities participated in the festivities.

Generally, the Chief Minister is the chief guest during the closing ceremony of the festival but as he is undergoing treatment in Delhi, Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania was the chief guest at the closing ceremony held in the open air auditorium Kala Kendra. He announced a 5 per cent increase in the honorarium of the deities and a 10 per cent increase in the honorarium of the Bajantris. He awarded the winners of various competitions and contests.