India’s cultural diversity is amply demonstrated by the way we celebrate many of our festivals. The same festival with the same essence is celebrated very differently in different regions of the country. Dussehra is a perfect case in point. If a foreigner visits West Bengal and Gujarat during Dussehra festivities, they will be perplexed to see the absolute differences in how people celebrate the same festival. Similarly, north and south India celebrate Dussehra is their own different ways. In north India, Kullu Dussehra in Himachal Pradesh is a unique festival in the Himalayas.
Born in Odisha, Dussehra has always been the main festival in my life. But the way I knew Dussehra changed significantly as I started travelling across India. Moving to Gujarat, I saw a very different version of Dussehra. When I experienced Kullu Dussehra in 2019, it had even more surprises in store for me. It was delightfully different. Processions of local deities in their palanquins coming over for seven days to Kullu and engaging in festivities was such a sight! Add to that the scenic views of Kullu Valley as a backdrop, and you have a perfect festival in front of you.
{For more such cultural experiences, check out: Varanasi- Ganga Ghats (U.P.) ||| Puri Jagannath (Odisha)}
Dussehra celebrations across India
Essentially, Dussehra is a festival of celebrating the victory of the ‘good’ over the ‘evil’. While Dussehra is an ancient festival, and no one really knows when it began, it started taking shape in the 15th century in the Vijayanagar Empire in south India. Though there are hundreds of variations of Dussehra festivities across India, the two main variants are the worshipping of Lord Rama and Goddess Durga.
Dussehra in eastern India:
In most part of east and north-east India, and especially in Kolkata, it’s ‘Durga Puja’ or ‘Vijayadashami’ that is most popular. It celebrates Goddess Durga’s victory over the demon Mahishasura. Clay idols of Goddess Durga, Saraswati, Lakshmi, Ganesha and Kartikay are put up on decorated pandals. Nine days of celebrations culminate with immersion of the idols in water bodies on the tenth day.
Dussehra in rest of India:
In western India (and most other regions), Durga Puja is called ‘Navratri’ (literally: nine nights). At the heart of Navratri celebrations are the mass dance carnivals- garba and dandiya. In south India, in a popular variation- ‘Mysuru Dussehra/ Dasara’, Goddess Chamundeswari is taken on a procession across the city.
However, in most parts of north India, it’s Dussehra- worshipping of Lord Rama is popular. The nine day festivities culminate on the tenth day by burning the effigy of Ravana as a symbol of Lord Rama’s victory over the demon King. A variation of Dussehra is celebrated in Himachal- ‘Kullu Dussehra’.
{For more details on types of Dussehra across in India, read: Dussehra across India}
Why is Kullu Dussehra so unique?
Why is it unique? Among the many reasons, here’s the most interesting one. In most part of India, Dussehra is celebrated for nine days in the month of September/ October (Hindu month of Ashwin), and is culminated on the 10th day. On the other hand, Kullu Dussehra starts on the 10th day and continues for a week. Some other interesting facts about Kullu Dussehra:
- Instead of 10 days, Kullu Dussehra is celebrated for 7 days.
- Lord Ram is worshipped as Raghunath in Kullu.
- Unlike elsewhere, burning of the effigy of Ravana is not a practice in Kullu Dussehra.
- Apart from Raghunath ji, Hadimba Devi, a local Goddess and many other deities are also worshipped during the festivities.
- Deities from across Kullu Valley congregate in Kullu for the celebrations.
Apart from the processions, Kullu Dussehra celebrates the local culture and tradition in a unique way. It showcases a democratic way of celebrating regional festivals. The pride of cultural heritage in the eyes of the locals needs to be seen to be believed.
Kullu Dussehra: History and mythology
Kullu Dussehra owes its origin to the legendary King Jagat Singh. In early 17th century, the King heard about certain Durga Dutt who possessed of huge amount of gems. When the King’s courtiers confronted him he told them that he didn’t possess any gems, and that the said gems are only intellectual gems. And then depressed by the mental tortures he received, Durga Dutt lit himself and his family in fire to death. But not before cursing the King that he would see worms in his food whenever he tried to eat, and would see water as blood in his glass.
When the curse came true, the King’s life was ruined. A local sadhu advised him that if he drank charanamrit (holy water washing the feet of a deity) of Raghunath, he would come out of the curse. The King sent his priest Damodar Dass to Ayodhya to find an idol of Raghunath (another name for Lord Ram). Damodar Dass indeed found an idol, and brought it to Kullu. On drinking his charanamrit, he got rid of the curse. Hence, impressed by Raghunath ji’s blessings, he built a temple for him in Kullu for him.
Birth and growth of Kullu Dussehra:
After some time, the King renounced all powers, and became a devotee of Lord Raghunath. One autumn, he thought of convening all the local deities across the hills in the Kullu region in the honour of Raghunath ji. This was how Kullu Dussehra came about for the first time.
Since then, Kullu Dussehra has come a long way. In 1972, the authorities declared Kullu Dussehra as an international event. In another milestone in 2016, Guinness World Records declared Kullu Dussehra as the world’s largest voluntary folk dance festival.
Kullu Dussehra: Day wise celebrations
The week-long traditional festival of Kullu Dussehra follows a day-wise ritual. For the inquisitive souls, here’s a day-wise break up of the events that unfold every year during Kullu Dussehra.
Day-1:
All the local deities (devi & devta) arrive in Kullu and go to meet Raghunath ji at his temple. On return, they meet the King at the nearby Rupi Palace. After all the deities have visited the temple, Raghunath ji’s idol is taken to the college ground in a procession. The idol is kept in a chariot and devotees pull the chariot to Dhalpur Maidan (ground). The Rath Yatra (Chariot Procession) is the main attraction of the festival. At night, an international dance festival takes place at the Kala Kendra.
Day-2 to Day-5:
The deities in their palanquins accompanied by devotees camp across Kullu and follow daily rituals. Devotees take their deities in parades and processions. People from all over Himachal and across the country visit to experience the festival and enjoy a fair where local artisans exhibit their products. Through the night, dance and music events entertain visitors.
Day-6:
All the deities recongregate at Dhalpur Maidan around Raghunath ji’s camp. And the rituals, dance and musical celebrations continue.
Day-7:
On the last day, devotees take Raghunath ji’s idol to Beas River bank. Instead of burning the effigy of Ravana, people here burn a heap of bushes as a symbol of the victory of ‘good’ over ‘evil’. Though animal sacrifice is not a general practice now, some people do practice it in isolated places. This marks the end of Dussehra celebrations in Kullu. In the end, Raghunath ji comes back to his temple and local deities take their procession back to their villages.
Our experience of Kullu Dussehra in 2019
In October 2019, we planned to visit a few places near Kullu before experiencing the famous Kullu Dussehra. So, we headed to Kasol in Parvati Valley, a quaint little place tucked in the Great Himalayan National Park. With the lovely Parvati river flowing by, and lush green pine forests around, Kasol is one of the most beautiful offbeat destinations I have ever visited. I still cherish those walks in the forest and those peaceful moments sitting by the river.
One of the days, we hiked up to Malana village, a quaint little village on a mountain slope away from the hustle and bustle of modern urban life. Though it’s famous for Malana cream (a drug made of cannabis), we enjoyed exploring the village for other reasons. As per some sources, Malana is the oldest (or among the oldest) democracy in the world. Walking around in the village, we came across an old temple of Jamlu Devta in the village.
We also visited the popular Manikaran Sahib Gurudwara near Kasol. Manikaran is a sacred destination for both Hindus and Sikhs. Sitting on the bank of Parvati river, the white marble Gurudwara looked majestic.
Last day experiencing Kullu Dussehra:
After exploring the Parvati Valley, on the last day, we headed to experience Kullu Dussehra. Though we knew it’s special, we had no idea how people celebrate Dussehra in Kullu region. Even while approaching Kullu, we noticed groups of devotees carrying their deities in palanquins towards Kullu town. Reaching Kullu, we saw these devotees coming from various nearby villages camping all over the town with their deities.
When we reached Dhalpur Maidan, it was such an interesting scene! Towards one end of the ground (somewhere near the government college), there was a large crowd. Slowly and steadily, the whole ground (quite a big ground) filled up with thousands of visitors. One after the other, all the deities in procession with their devotees drumming and trumpeting, reached the celebration ground. By the hour, the atmosphere became more and more devotional. It was a Dussehra experience like never before for us.
Places to visit and things to do in/ near Kullu
- On the sidelines of experiencing Kullu Dussehra, one must explore the region well. Here’s a list of some of the best places and things to do in and around Kullu.
- In Kullu town: Raghunath Temple, the original temple of Lord Raghunath ji.
- Great Himalayan National Park: {Parvati Valley (Kasol, Manikaran, Tosh and Malana village); ~45 kms} || {Tirthan Valley (Gushaini, Jibhi, Jalori Pass, Raghupur Fort, Serolsar Lake), ~ 60 kms} || {Sainj Valley: Shangarh meadows, ~ 50 kms}.
- Bijli Mahadev Temple (27 kms): A temple of Lord Shiva, popular as the ‘Lord of Lightening’.
- Naggar Castle (24 kms): A beautiful medieval (1460 AD) castle overseeing the valley, now a heritage hotel.
- River rafting in Beas: One of the most popular adventure sports in Kullu/ Manali.
- Manali: At about 45 kms, Manali, a lovely hill station is not far from Kullu.
Kullu Dussehra: Travel Tips
Best time to visit:
Starting autumn (Oct- Nov) through the winters (Dec- Feb) and spring (Mar-Apr), Kullu has the best weather to enjoy. Though winters can be a little too cold for some, I still feel it’s a good time to visit. To experience Kullu Dussehra, one should look at the calendar for end- September or October. Besides, the summer months of May- June are enjoyable too.
On the other hand, one should avoid the monsoon months of July to September. As it rains heavily during the monsoon and there are landslides in the whole area, it’s a bit too dangerous to travel.
How to reach:
- By train, one can reach Chandigarh, about 220 kms away, and from there one has to take a taxi/ bus
- For air travel, Bhuntar is the nearest airport (~12 kms). But it has limited flight options. So, one may take a flight to Chandigarh/ Delhi and from there take a taxi/ bus.
- From Delhi, there are regular bus services, both luxury buses and local buses.
How to get around:
To travel within Kullu, one can take an auto-rickshaw or a taxi. For exploring nearby places, it’s a good idea to hire a taxi. Because local buses have limited options. But if one has time, local buses are available.
Where to stay:
Some good budget hotels: Hotel The Nest ||| Hotel Kullu Valley ||| Hotel Sarla Regency ||| Hotel Aroma Classic ||| Hotel Siddhartha ||| Beas View Kullu ||| City Choice Inn ||| Hotel Sarvari ||| Ritu Regency ||| Tulip Flowing River View.
What/ Where to eat:
- Must try dishes: Siddu ||| Khatta Kaddu ||| Rajma Madra ||| Trout Fish ||| Chhaa Gosht ||| Dham (Traditional Thali) ||| Tudkiya Bhath.
- Some good restaurants/ cafes: Brothers Good Food Café ||| Maitre: Good Food Café ||| Rustic Wood Bar & Grill ||| Hot Spice Café ||| Hangout ||| Luke’s Coffee & Desserts ||| Fork N Knife.
Epilogue
Though Kullu Dussehra is unique in many way, their traditions do resemble celebrations in many other places across India. For example, in Odisha, during Holi festivities, people do take local deities in processions to a common place and celebrate. Or for that matter, Mysuru Dasara also involves one kind of procession too, though a bit different from Kullu Dussehra. Nonetheless, experiencing Kullu Dussehra was one of my most amazing cultural experiences in India.
If you are planning to visit Kullu, do plan for the Dussehra times. What can be a better time to see and experience a place than its most popular festival! For more tips and information, you may get in touch with us.
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