Shimla, Oct 20 All preparations are complete for the week-long international Kullu Dussehra, which will commence in Dhalpur ground in Kullu town on Wednesday, officials said on Tuesday.
The festival of Dussehra holds immense cultural and historical significance in the Kullu valley. In the Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh, Dussehra is not a one-day affair but a seven-day celebration.
It starts just as the Dussehra festival concludes across the rest of India.
Hundreds of deities from throughout the valley participate in the event, each playing a significant role in this grand assembly.
The arrival of various deities at the historic Dhalpur ground to take part in the week-long international Dussehra festival started on Tuesday, and Goddess Hidimba departed from Manali for the Dussehra festival, accompanied by her attendants and devotees.
Goddess Hidimba plays a pivotal role in Kullu Dussehra and is considered the matriarch (grandmother figure) of the royal Kullu family. The ‘Dev Maha Kumbh’ that constitutes Kullu Dussehra begins only upon the arrival of Goddess Hidimba.
Raghuvir Negi, the ‘kardar’ (temple administrator) of Goddess Hidimba, said that she will arrive in Kullu on Tuesday night. The next morning, she will be formally welcomed, and a ceremonial staff (‘chhadi’) representing the royal family will be brought to a place called Ramshila to receive her.
On the first day, her chariot enters the royal palace in Kullu. Following prayers offered to the Goddess, Lord Raghunath is brought to Dhalpur. This marks the beginning of the seven-day Dussehra festival, during which the Goddess remains in a temporary camp, returning to her own shrine only after the ‘Ravan Dahan’ (the burning of the effigy of Ravana).
From there, the Goddess will proceed to the temple of Lord Raghunath, where she will be worshipped in accordance with traditional rituals. Following this, Lord Raghunath will emerge from his temple, and he, along with all the other participating deities, will set out for the ‘Rath Maidan’ (chariot ground).
This will mark the commencement of Lord Raghunath’s grand procession, signalling the official start of the Kullu Dussehra or, as it is aptly called, the ‘Dev Maha Kumbh’.
Kullu town has been divided into six sectors with deployment of 1,265 additional police personnel, along with 140 Home Guard jawans for the festival and a traffic plan has been devised to ensure that the public does not face any traffic-related issues during the festivities.
Superintendent of Police Kullu SP Abhishek Sekar said Kullu Dussehra will be celebrated with great enthusiasm at the historic Dhalpur ground, and the police have implemented robust security arrangements.
(PTI News)
