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Dussehra
Begins in Kullu When It Ends Elsewhere
KULLU: The seven-day Kullu Valley Dussehra festival is unique. It begins when Dussehra celebrations end in other parts of the country. Unlike the rest of the country, no effigy of Ravana and his brother and son are burnt.
Devotees from neighbouring villages and faraway cities thronged the town as the week-long festival began on Tuesday, October 15. To avoid a repeat of incidents like the attack on Akshardham temple in Gujarat, police frisked tourists and checked vehicles coming into the town. "As compared to last year, security arrangements this year are very good. They have tightened security because they have taken caution from the incident at Akshardham temple and the Kashmir situation," said Rakesh Chauhan, a regular participant of the festival. The festival began with the pulling of the chariot of Lord Rama from the Raghunath temple by hundreds of devotees. Like every year, this year too the Kullu Dussehra festival has attracted a large number of domestic and international tourists who lined up on both sides of the Dhalpur grounds to witness the colourful celebrations. "There is no fear in the hearts of the people. If that was so, there would not have been 500-1000 stalls and over 3,000 people from as far as Delhi and with hopes of doing good business, " said Arvind Kumar, a resident of Kullu. N Venugopal, a police official, said religious processions have often become targets of terrorists, especially in big social and cultural gatherings like these as they become soft targets. "That is why we are screening all those people coming in from outside," he said. The history of Kullu Dussehra dates back to the 17th century when the local King Jaganand installed an idol of Raghunath on his throne as a mark of penance. After this Raghunath came to be known as the ruling deity of the Valley. The week-long Kullu Dussehra festival ends with the sacrifice of a buffalo, a rooster, a lamb, a fish and a crab. -ANI |
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