After 365 years, the serpent god returns at Kullu Dasehra

The Dhalpur Ground in Kullu turned into a living chronicle of divine history this year, as the International Dasehra Festival unfolded with a spectacle unseen for centuries. Amid rhythmic drums, sacred chants and a palpable sense of awe, devotees witnessed the homecoming of Kui Kanda Naag, a revered deity returning after an unimaginable 365 years.

The deity’s journey from Tandi Kathi Himri in the Anni subdivision, spanning nearly 190 km, was more than a pilgrimage. It was a bridge across time. His return to Lord Raghunath’s court recreated the sanctity of the first Kullu Dasehra, celebrated in 1660, when gods and devotees first gathered in this valley of faith.

Known as the “Dev Mahakumbh of the Himalayas,” Kullu Dasehra has always been a convergence of spirituality and culture. Yet this year, it became something more, a rekindling of history. Kui Kanda Naag’s reappearance revived not just an ancient legend but the collective memory of a civilisation where divinity and nature coexist in sacred balance.

Vinod Thakur, the gur (oracle) of Kui Kanda Naag, recounted how the deity’s blessings have long been invoked to calm storms, bring rain, and restore ecological harmony. In the traditions of Kullu, he is venerated as the custodian of weather and protector of the land—a divine force guarding against calamities and disease. For generations, villagers have turned to Kui Kanda Naag in times of drought or distress, believing that the serpentine god’s grace maintains the fragile rhythm between man and mountain.

The return of Kui Kanda Naag thus symbolised more than divine will. It was a spiritual homecoming that stitched together centuries of faith, reaffirming that devotion knows no expiry.

As the valley basked in the aura of this celestial reunion, another sacred story unfolded nearby. After five decades, Khurchkot Mahadev, the revered deity from Padhru village under Karadsu panchayat, also made his grand reappearance at Dhalpur. For many, it felt as though the gods themselves had chosen to rewrite the festival’s destiny.

Escorted by his Devloos (attendants), Khurchkot Mahadev’s palanquin reached Raghunathpur to participate in the Dev Milan, the divine meeting with Lord Raghunath. His return, too, was marked by joy and nostalgia. Villagers described it as the revival of a spiritual bond long paused but never broken.

Tule Ram, the deity’s kardar (caretaker), shared that Khurchkot Mahadev, believed to be a manifestation of Lord Shiva, will remain at Dhalpur for seven days, performing ancient rituals that connect the present generation to their ancestors’ devotion. On the day of Lanka Dahan, he will begin his homeward journey, closing a sacred chapter in this year’s Dasehra.

Together, the return of Kui Kanda Naag after three centuries and Khurchkot Mahadev after half a century transformed the 2025 Kullu Dasehra into a festival of divine reunions, a moment when faith, history, and heritage intertwined, reminding all that the gods of the valley never truly leave; they simply wait for the right time to return.