Devtantra works in Dodra-Kwar

Shriniwas Joshi

Longstanding itch on the sole of my right foot was cured recently when I visited Dodra-Kwar on the other side of Chansal. Sharabh Negi, who was the first Sub-divisional Magistrate to be posted here, writes in his book ‘Dodra-Kwar’ that of the three ‘tantras’ – prajatantra, rajtantra and devtantra (the authority of the people, the king or gods). Devtantra functions in Dodra-Kwar. And prior to our reaching Kwar, a resident instructed us on how to obey the diktats of the deity there – not to pay obeisance in the form of direct cash to the deity but to offer it through one of His priests.

She also told us that the practice of poisoning one’s food through ‘mantras’ to please the gods is prevalent in Dodra and not in Kwar. I had heard of poisoning of food through ‘mantras’ earlier – the book ‘Rupin Valley to Dodra-Kwar’, written by Deepak Sanan and Dhanu Swadi, also mentions, “No outsider eats in local houses in Dodra for fear of being poisoned as sacrifice to local spirits”, but I feel that it defeats all logic. However, it was during this trip that I was told by Pratap Omta, a social activist, that the poison goes inside the body of the eater with the first loaf only. If the first loaf is kept aloof in the name of dog or crow, then the force of the mantra gets bypassed.

I rest the subject here because we did not stay at Dodra as the only rest house here belonging to the Forest Department was so filthy that pigs playing in the mud after rain. We decided to go to Kwar and to enjoy home-stay facilities provided by Kesar Singh. Kesar Singh’s wards made the home-stay as comfortable as they could on that part of the world.

Dodra is at a distance of 20 kilometre from Chanshal through a road that is bumpy and jerky. On the day of my visit here, an eight overs, ‘T8’ cricket tournament was being played on the lawns of the temple. It is a compact village. Kwar, across the Rupin river, is another 20 kilometre away from Dodra. One has to go down about 12 kilometre to Gosango to cross the bridge over the Rupin then there is an 8 kilometre climb ahead to be at Kwar. Kwar is a conglomeration of four villages. We stayed at Kitrawari village where there is the temple of deity Kwar Jakh (See photo).

I am giving the story of the birth of the Kwar Jakh deity that is interestingly described by Sharabh Negi. Long time back, ‘Bairing’ was the deity of the area when at the Rikhni locality in Kwar lived a family of Baitaans. A boy by the name of Guraatu looked after the cows of Baitaans.

He used to take the herd for grazing to the sides of the Rupin at Gosango. Once he saw a cow running to a secluded place at Gosango where five boys came out of the earth and sucked the milk of that cow before dunking again into the earth.

He reported the matter to the householders. They followed Guraatu the other day and saw the happenings and when the boys were about to disappear in the earth, they caught hold one of them by his hair.

He slipped from their hands but a tuft of golden hair remained with them. Guraatu then had a dream that an idol should be created using the tuft of the hair of the mysterious boy. He did so and started worshipping the idol. This deity started showing his power and forced people to worship him instead of ‘Bairing.’ He almost annihilated those who were against him. This deity is the present ‘Kwar Jakh’ and is the most worshipped deity of Kwar. The other two deities of the area are ‘Jakh Janglik’ and ‘Dhara Jakh’. ‘Dhara Jakh’ is believed to be the younger brother of ‘Kwar Jakh.’

Devtantra is on wane these days but it, in the past, solved many problems thus saving the people from expensive litigation.