SEVENDAY KULLU DUSSEHRA BEGINS

A grand congregation of over 210 gods and goddesses have assembled in Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh Lord Raghunath’s chariot is wheeled out by devotees from his temple in Sultanpur The centuries-old tradition states that ‘Nag Dhumbal’ clears the road and manages the crowd when the chariot is being pulled on the first and the last day of the week-long festival 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 Raghunath during Dussehra. Since then, the assembly of deities has become a ritual.

‘Chharibardar’ (chief caretaker) of Raghunath — the presiding deity of Kullu valley — and BJP leader Maheshwar Singh leading the procession of devotees along with the palanquin of the deity at the Dhalpur ground in Kullu on Saturday. AQIL KHAN/HT