Curtains down on Bhedu Ku Tamashu at Uttarkashi village

Tribune News Service

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Mussoorie, September 6

The three-day festival of sheep, popularly known as Bhedu Ku Tamashu that is celebrated once in every three years, concluded at Thaandi village in Uttarkashi today.

Villagers from around five villages of Ganja Patti in Uttarkashi district reached the temple lawns along with the palanquins of the local deities, namely Harimaharaj, Bolia Raja, Kaalinaag, Oneshwar, Jawalpa Mata, Dudhyadi Devi, Nanda Devi, Bhadrakali and Guru Chauranginath, whose palanquins were brought to the temple at Thaandi village.

It was followed by a palanquin dance and devotees seeking blessings for themselves and their sheep from the local deities amid the beating of traditional drums. The major highlight was the assembly of more than 1,000 sheep that were brought specially from the cattle sheds in the meadows situated at high altitudes where they are left to graze. The sheep take rounds of the temple on their own before embarking on their journey back to the meadows.

Some of the village elders said sheep rearing was the main occupation of the people and the festival was a way to thank the local deities for keeping their sheep safe from various diseases and wild animals.

Gangotri MLA Vijay Pal Sajwan reached the temple and sought blessings from the deities and appreciated the efforts of the temple committee for organising the festival to preserve the traditional and cultural heritage of the region. He announced the grant of Rs 1 lakh from his MLA LAD fund to the temple committee for the conservation of the temple and the festival.

The villagers demanded the construction of the incomplete Kamad-Ayarka-Buda Kedar road and developing a religious tourism circuit, including various important temple sites around the region. The Gangotri MLA directed the SDM, Dunda, to ensure that the road was completed within two months and if the contractor failed to comply, a complaint would be lodged against him for the delay.

According to the elders of the village, the tradition of sheep sacrifice that was prevalent till a few years ago was stopped on the direction of Bolia Raja, a local deity, who consented through his priests to come to the festival and bless devotees only on the condition of stopping animal sacrifice. Since then a coconut is offered to the deities at the temple.

He felicitated local drummers and craftsmen for the successful conclusion of the festival. Dunda block Pramukh Kanak Pal Parmar, state Congress spokesperson Pradeep Bhatt, state Congress organisation secretary Girvir Parmar, Dunda SDM Saurabh Aswal, advocate Anand Prakash and district women Congress president Meena Nautiyal were present on the occasion.