Braj songs, 40-day Holi joy for Kullu’s Bairagi community

Abhinav Vashisht

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Kullu, March 20

With the start of Holashtak, eight days before Holi, which falls on March 24, people of the Bairagi community here are celebrating the festival by singing Holi songs in Lord Raghunath Mandir and other temples of the district.

People of the Bairagi community in Kullu cherish the traditional Holi songs and the singing continues till Holi. With DJs playing loud music during festivals a norm these days, people of the community continue to follow the tradition by singing Holi songs of Braj. The songs sung on the beats of ‘dafli’ and ‘jhanj manjira’ create an exhilarating atmosphere.

The Bairagi community starts celebrating Holi from Basant Panchami — 40 days before the festival.

The members of the community play with gulal, sing traditional songs and take out processions in the streets daily and worship the chief deity by visiting Raghunath temple. Eight days before Holi, people of the Bairagi community start singing Holi songs in other temples of Guru Peyhari Baba in Jhiri, Radha Krishna temple in Thawa and Jagati Patt as well.

Rajkumar Mahant and Ekadashi Mahant of the Bairagi community said the younger generation should remain connected to their culture. They said the people of Bairagi community in Kullu were following the tradition for more than 350 years on the lines of Ayodhya. The idol of Lord Raghunath was brought to Kullu from Ayodhya in the mid-17th century and since then the people of the Bairagi community, had been following this tradition, they added.

The temple of Lord Raghunath resonates with chants of Holi songs and is filled with colours in the evening. Ashwani Mahant said the Bairagi community would sing Holi songs here till Holika Dahan, locally known as ‘Phaag’. Maheshwar Singh, ‘Chharibardar’ or chief caretaker of Lord Raghunath, also participates in the tradition of singing Holi songs and playing with ‘gulal’ in the temple during the Holashtak.