कुल्लू

KULLU DUSSERA FROM OCT17 ONWARDS...
The International Kullu Dussera Festival will be held from October 17 to 23.Besides troupes from abroad and other states, local cultural troupes would also be given preference to help showcase the rich hill culture during this occassion. Cultural troupes from Russia, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are likely to participate in the festival this year.

A few days back one of FB friend Mr.Milap Singh had asked me a question about the actual begining of the Kullu Dusshera.Though I being not a historian tried to flash the light on this topic because its my passion to explore Kullu.Yesterday ...too I had glanced a news item in a leading Himachali news paper about the "pioneer of Kullu Dussehra",the man to whom the credit goes for bringing this festival to our Kullu.Yes he was "Durga Dass or Durga Dutt",a peasant of Tipri village from Parbati valley(Manikaran valley).Let me elobrate it again.

The history of Kullu Dussehra dates back to the 17th century(Say in 1650 or 360 years back) when local King Jagat Singh installed an idol of Raghunath on his throne as a mark of penance.You must have heard the story that this king in his ego persuaded a peasant or a brahmin named Durga Dass for self-emolation.It was because there was a rumour that he had so precious pears.The king tried to sntach that.The poor fellow Damodar Dass kept himself locked inside his room and sliced his body parts one by one with a sharp weapon and threw these in a fire.But before his death,the innocent holyman cursed the king for this ill deed.

Evantualy,the king jagat Singh had the fatal diease"koud" and never recovered.He had sleepless nights,saw crawling creatures in his food items.One day in his dream he got the message that if he brings the idol of lord Raghunath from Ayodhya and bulits a temple in Kullu then only his recovery is possible.

A man named "Damodar Dass"was sent on the mission stole the said idol and he had brought it to Kullu. After this, god Raghunath was declared as the ruling deity of the Valley.The king got recovered of his illness and he ordered to celebrate the Dussehra in Kullu. After independence and more particularly,after 1971,The State government has accorded the status of International festival to the Kullu Dussehra, which attracts tourists in large numbers.

To eloborate more on Kullu Dusshera (to my knowledge),it is said that earliar whole of the Dhalpur area where Dussehra is now celebrated,was under cultivable land(the ropas of Kullu raja )and water to this large part of land was brought fro...m the adjoining Sarvari nullah.As this land was in a sliding sort or in "dhlan",thats why it was called Dhalpur.

Yes,the official celebration was started with the perasual of late two time cabinet rank minister of govt,of HP,Late Sh.Lal Chand Prarthi(once home mininister,then health minister),the credit for bringing the GD college,Hospital and Kla kendra goes to him.He persuaded the organising culutural programmes in Kla Kendra for a week so that it should be accorded an international status of festival.His efforts ended in a success story and now it is a very famous festival of India.

Wait for a month or more,then enjoy the Kullu Dusshera with me freinds.