Seven-day Dasehra festival kicks off with religious fervour in Kullu

The descendants of the erstwhile ruler of Rupi (Kullu) valley along with the head of family Maheshwar Singh led the Rath yatra to commence the seven-day-long world famous Kullu Dasehra Festival here today. The idols of Chief Deity Lord Raghunath, Sita, Hanuman and other deities were brought to Dhalpur in a palanquin from their sanctum sanctorum in Sultanpur. These were then placed in a beautifully decorated wooden chariot called the Rath.

Palanquins of deities accompanied Lord Raghunath

• The Rath Yatra commences after the sunset on the adjacent hill after a flag signal is made by the Goddess Bhekhali from the hill. The Rath was then pulled by hundreds of devotees from the Rath ground to the camp temple of Lord Raghunath in the middle of Dasehra ground.
• Amid sloganeering of 'Jai Shree Ram', the palanquins of deities with their traditional bands accompanied Lord Raghunath in the Rath Yatra.

The Rath Yatra commences after the sunset on the adjacent hill after a flag signal is made by the Goddess Bhekhali from the hill. The Rath was then pulled by hundreds of devotees from the Rath ground to the camp temple of Lord Raghunath in the middle of Dasehra ground. The Deity Dhumbal Naag was virtually the ‘policing’ incharge to manage the crowd of thousands of spectators and devotees during the historic Rath Yatra. There is a tradition that the deity clears the passage and manages the crowd when Lord Raghunath’s rath is being pulled.

The atmosphere was devotional amid sloganeering of ‘Jai Shree Ram’. The palanquins of Gods and Goddesses with their traditional bands accompanied Lord Raghunath in the Rath Yatra. Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla, Supreme Court Judge Justice Sanjay Karol, Deputy CM Mukesh Agnihotri and other dignitaries witnessed the Rath Yatra.

Earlier, various rituals were carried out in the Raghunath temple at Sultanpur.

The ‘Dadi’ (grandmother) of the Royal family, Goddess Hadimba, from Manali arrived at Sultanpur, after which the further traditions were carried out. The police and home guard jawans led the procession of Lord Raghunath from Sultanpur through Sarwari and Lower Dhalpur to Rath Ground at Dhalpur. The residents paid obeisance to the Chief Deity en route.

Men, women and children in their traditional folk dresses, besides hundreds of foreign and domestic tourists gathered to watch the spectacular event. There was gaiety and fervour amidst the rhythmical sound of drums and lilting of shahnaies. The idols were then placed in the camp temple located in the middle of the Dhalpur ground. Traditional rituals and meeting of local Gods and Goddesses will be carried out during the festivities.

Kullu Dasehra is being celebrated since mid-seventeenth century and celebrations begin on Vijaya Dashmi, the day the festivities end in the rest of the country. However, this year the festivities here started a day later as per the astrological calculations. Deities from various parts of Kullu district participate in the festival and the invitation had been sent to 332 deities this year.