Kullu Dussehra celebrations begin

Over 200 gods and goddesses assembled in this Himachal Pradesh town for the week-long Kullu Dussehra festivities that began Friday.

Kullu Dussehra, a centuries-old festival, begins on 'Vijaya Dashami', the day when the festivities end in the rest of the country.

"More than 200 deities have arrived and more are expected in the next few days," Deputy Commissioner Rakesh Kanwar, the chief organiser of the festival, told IANS.

Unlike other parts of the countries, here effigies of Ravan, Meghnad and Kumbhakarna are not burnt.

However, the 'evil empire' will be destroyed by the assembled deities during the Lankadahan ceremony on the bank of the Beas Oct 9.

The chariot of Lord Raghunath, the chief deity, accompanied by palanquins of other assembled deities reached the historic Dhalpur Maidan here amid beating of drums and playing of 'shehnais'.

Thousands of devotees pulled the sacred rath (chariot) of Lord Raghunath.

Governor Urmila Singh also participated in the festivities.

The festival dates to 1637, when Raja Jagat Singh ruled Kullu.

He had invited all local deities in Kullu to perform a ritual in honour of Lord Raghunath during Dussehra.

Since then, the annual assembly of deities from hundreds of village temples has become a tradition.

After the abolition of princely states, it is the administration which has been inviting the deities.

According to tradition, the devotees bring the idol of their deity in a beautifully decorated palanquin amid the sounding of trumpets and drums from the respective temples dotted across the picturesque Kullu Valley to this historical town.

Here, the assembled deities participate in the Dussehra processions led by the chariot of Lord Raghunath, the chief deity, on the first and the last day of the festival.

Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh has issued an advisory that the dignity of the deities should be maintained during the festivity.

"Action should be initiated against those who carry symbols of deities but roam on roads or elsewhere and seek money from passersby. They are unnecessarily defaming the culture and 'devtas' by playing with the faith of the people," the chief minister told the district authorities ahead of the festival.

In the wake of the state high court last month's ban on the age-old tradition prevailing in most areas of the hill state, including Kullu Dussehra, to sacrifice animals to "appease" the gods and goddesses, the government has issued an advisory.

"We have taken steps to ensure implementation of the ban in toto," added Kanwar.

For centuries, the festival has concluded with a sacrifice of a buffalo, a male sheep, a fish, a crab and a chicken.