Bagwal festival begins at Champawat

BD Kasniyal

Pithoragarh, August 26

The heads of four clans, who take part in the traditional stone war at Devidhura Bagwal, attended the Kal puja ceremony today, as the 11-day Bagwal festival stated at Devidhura in Champawat district. Speaker of the state Assembly Govind Singh Kunjwal inaugurated the cultural and religious programmes that followed the Kal puja.

August 29 will be day to watch the festival as the fighters of the four khams or clans will take part in the Bagwal to hit the fighters of another clan to shed their blood. Now, fruits have replaced stones that were used traditionally in the festival. “Ganga Singh from the Chamiyal Kham, Trilok Singh from the Ghaharwal Kham, Badri Singh from the Valik Kham and Virendra Singh from the Lamgaria kham participated in the Kal puja,” said Khem Singh Lamgaria , president of the Devidhura Temple committee.

According to the schedule of the Brahidham puja, special darshan and worshipping of Barahi Devi by devotees from local villages will be performed on August 27 and 28 while the palanquin of Barahi Devi will be taken to local temples on the next two days. The festival will conclude with worshiping several deities and breaking of the week-long fast by devotees. “Before the festival ends on September 5, a special puja will be offered to Barahi Devi by people who could not reach in time,” said Lamgaria.