Celebrating Diwali the traditional way

Kuldeep Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, October 28

For residents of Shantha-Bateuri in Chopal, Nirmand in Kullu, Trans-Giri in Sirmaur and neighboring Jaunsar-Bawar of Uttarakhand and Baldwara in Mandi, Diwali is not about lighting lamps or exchanging gifts. They celebrate the festival in a unique way.

At Bateuri-Shantha village, residents celebrate Diwali as ‘Jagra’ lauding the local king, Bhikru, and his queen Dudam Rani. The celebrations last four days. The villagers take the chariot of the local deity to the local Goddess, Thaur.

What makes the festival different here is the age-old sport of Khila-Bharaach (between the Rajput of Shantha and Brahmins of Bateuri).

The venue is at Bateuri where the scared procession of the local deity converges on the third day of Diwali.

The deity passes its power on to the sacred Khila, a stick made of a shrub (bheghal), which is believed to have been used by Lord Rama to trace Goddess Sita.

The rivals sweat it out to get hold of the stick. They go rolling down the hillside in thorny bushes and boulders till a champion emerges at the last. He has to snatch the Khila from the rivals and has to be tossed up into the air to make his victory public. The ceremony is followed by a treat at Shantha where Goddess Thaur plays the host to the deity.

“Residents of Nirmand call the festival ‘Buddi Diwali’ (Old Divali)’,” said Kulwant Sharma, a local.

‘Buddi Diwali’ is not celebrated the same day, but a month later.

On the day, representatives of the deities gather around a bonfire at the Dashnami Akhara in Nirmand village. Divine melodies and the triumph of good over the evil sum up the celebrations.

In Trans-giri and adjoining Jaunsar and Bawar villages, villagers celebrate ‘Burhi Diwali’ invoking legends of the local deities.

In Baldawara, Mandi, residents cook ‘Anklu-Chilras’, a special dish which they eat after the celebrations. Eating and cooking it on a stone slab is considered auspicious.