The International Kullu Dussehra: a 7 days festival of culture, devotion and Performances

Kullu Dussehra a grand celebration in the Kullu Valley it is one of the most revered festivals here. This unique and coruscating celebration lasts for seven days. This Kullu Dusshera starts when other conclude their celebration. This started during the Raja Jagat Singh reign when he was advised by his brahmin to bring the statue or murti of lord ram (Raghunath) from ayodhya to atone from his sins since that time. The festival is known for its cultural heritage, cottage wool weaving industry and kullvi shawls and caps. This festival symbolizes the triumph over evil, attracts blessing and prosperity.


 

This week long celebration is celebrated in the month of October with a great fanfare. More than 300 deities of Kullu district are invited to the occasion and pay their obeisance to Lord Shri Raghunath ji. A large number of National and International tourists also visit Kullu and even perform and show case their culture and traditions. There are sperate places for different activities like exhibitions, one side you will find all the food stalls installed by the locals only, domes for cloths and other home decor and other various kinds of shops comprising of various items, swings, rides and games are also there for the kids, night programs, cultural rallies all of this constitutes of this festival. Kullu can be reached by both road and air. No need to worry about the local accommodations as their are different home stays and including hotels run by the Himachal government.



Now lets talk about the day by day activities of this festival:


Day 1 : called the Vijayadashami this is the start of Kullu Dusshera and end elsewhere. On this day all the deities have arrived Dusshera and visited the Raghunath ji temple in sultanpur which is the first think do to after arriving kullu. The grand procession of lord Raghunath is done. These deities come with their villagers who dance and play traditional instruments creating a electrifying atmosphere , also the locals come to see their lord and be a part of this festival.

Day 2: This is the second day which starts the cultural performances. Artists showcase themselves representing the diversity and rich culture. As i mentioned above international tropes are also invited to perform.

Day 3: On this day sports competitions and exhibitions are held showcasing kullvi handicrafts and traditional sports.


Day 4: The famous folk dance nati or locally called laldi is performed by the ladies of kullu all in all music events along with performances carry on.

Day 5: This day is dedicated to religious rituals including the procession of deities continues.


Day 6: On this day royal procession is done with  the king of kullu in his traditional attire. Also people come to have the blessings of different gods.

Day 7: Lankadhan also referred as the burning of lanka this is marked as the end of dusshera signifying the victory of good over evil. Chariot (rath) of Raghunath ji is taken to the banks of river Beas where the structure of lanka is burnt. With this the deities return back to their home in grand procession.

Its a very unique and vigorous celebration for all the people. Its a rare sight to see so many deities from different places gathered together in one place. All of these is what makes the most famous festival not only in Himachal Pradesh but across the globe.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Himachal

Image
Lets talk about my home land the very special Himachal Pradesh the name itself depicting the presence of Himalayas and its unfolding beauty, mystery, cunning rituals and devotions of the folks towards their almighty gods and people. Only a few know about the history of this place. Himachal has been mentioned in the great Hindu text books such as Mahabharata and Puranas as "dev bhumi" literal meaning the land of gods. Talking about the ancient periods many empires came and ruled, it also faced the British colonial era. It was the British who established Shimla as the summer capital. Pre-independence Himachal Pradesh was just a cluster of small states which eventually integrated into the Indian Union. Himachal Pradesh became Union Territory on 1 November 1956.After this, the State of Himachal Pradesh was passed by the parliament and the new state came into being on  25 January 1971 emerging as the eighteenth state. Over the centuries , Himachal Pradesh has preserved its unique ...
Read more

Tirthan Adventure's

Image
  Tirth an valley   a hidden gem in the Himalayas well known for its natural beauty , outdoor activities and local culture. Its a gateway to the Great Himalayan National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The valley is covered with dense forest, peaks and including the Tirthan River. You can do camping, hiking , fishing etc. While visiting Tirthan you can also visit jibhi which takes another route and will take half an hour to reach. I have been to jibhi waterfall and other scared places like Balu temple there but for now lets talk about the Tirthan Valley where i recently went on a two days stay and explored the beauty. You can get buses from the kullu bus stand till bhuntar and from their you can get direct bus to banjar valley or do shifting from aut, to banjar bus stand and then take taxi or bus to the Valley as i did. You can pre book the rooms or cottages as per your need in my case we already pre booked the rooms where we spent a night the place was gushahni the food ...
Read more

Bir: My First Bike Trip

Image
 Setting off from Jalandhar on our bikes at 5 pm, the journey to Bir Billing, Himachal Pradesh, was one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life. With four of us on two bikes, our 2 days and 3 night , 3 day trip was filled with adventure, scenic landscapes, and memorable moments. Day 1: The Thrill of the Night Ride Our journey began it the early evening, as we left behind the city lights of Punjab. The route was thrilling as we rode deeper into the hills. Riding under the starry sky felt surreal, and though the roads became tougher to navigate in the dark, the excitement of the journey kept us going. After about nine hours, we finally reached Bir around 3 am , tired but excited for the days ahead. Day 2: Exploring Bir and the Surprise of Rain After catching a few hours of sleep, we headed out to explore Bir and trekked to Bangoru Waterfall. The trek was refreshing, leading us through lush greenery to the calm, Hidden waterfall. We spent some time unwinding by the water, enjo...
Read more