Week-long Kullu Dasehra concludes amid religious fervour

The vibrant Rath Yatra marked the grand finale of the Kullu Dasehra festival today, as the procession moved from the camp temple of Lord Raghunath, located at the heart of Dhalpur ground, to its southern end, popularly known as the Cattle Ground, for the ceremonial ‘Lanka Dahan’. This symbolic ritual re-enacts the burning of Lanka, signifying the triumph of good over evil.

Adorned with intricate decorations, the wooden chariot (rath) carried the idols of Lord Raghunath, Sita, Hanuman and other revered deities. Thousands of devotees enthusiastically pulled the Rath, accompanied by the palanquins of participating deities, creating a majestic and spiritually charged atmosphere.

Prior to 2014, the culmination of the festival at Lanka Bekar involved animal sacrifices to appease Goddess Kali, believed to mark the end of Ravana and his allies. Traditionally, a male buffalo, lamb, cock, crab, and fish were sacrificed to symbolically vanquish the five evils — ‘krodha’ (anger), ‘madh’ (intoxication), ‘kama’ (lust), ‘moha’ (attachment) and ‘lobha’ (greed). However, following a ban on animal sacrifices at religious congregations by the Himachal Pradesh High Court in 2014, the ritual has since been replaced with the offering of coconuts and other symbolic items.

After the ‘Lanka Dahan’ ceremony, the Rath was pulled back to the northern end of the ground known as Rath Maidan. The idols were then respectfully returned in palanquins to their sanctum sanctorum in Sultanpur, marking the end of the festivities. The deities also departed for their respective abodes.

Traditionally, the Chief Minister presides over the closing ceremony, but this time Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri graced the occasion. He distributed prizes to winners of various competitions and announced that the waiver of water bills was under consideration.

The Deputy CM had also visited the previous day but had to leave for Bilaspur due to a tragic bus accident involving multiple casualties. Despite inclement weather, the cultural evening was successfully held at Atal Sadan yesterday, where local artists captivated the audience with their performances.

In a significant development, Danvender Singh, kardar (custodian) of Lord Raghunath, revealed that Goddess Hadimba has called for a major congregation of deities — a ‘Big Jagati’ — to be held in Naggar. He stated that the deities have foreseen a potential calamity and intend to issue divine guidance and directives for the protection of the people.