Dynamite News Centuries Tradition Alive: Playing Holi for 40 days in Kullu.
Kullu is a veritable jewel in the crown of Himachal Pradesh that celebrates the festival of colors, Holi for 40 continuous days till the actual date of Hindu festival.
Kullu or Kulu is the capital town of the Kullu district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It is located on the banks of the Beas River in the Kullu Valley about 10 kilometres north of the airport at Bhuntar.
Nestled in the lap of the majestic Himalayas. The breathtaking beauty of its marvelous landscapes, the hospitality of its people, their distinctive lifestyle and rich culture have enthralled travelers for eons.
The Dev Sanskriti of the valley blends faith, mythology and history to create and sustain a unique bond between the mundane and the divine. Blessed with salubrious weather throughout the year, the district is known for the internationally renowned towns of Kullu and Manali, the pristine beauty of the Parbati valley, the teeming biodiversity of the Great Himalayan National Park, the quaint temple architecture of the hills and several enjoyable trekking routes across its breadth and width.
Kullu is a veritable jewel in the crown of Himachal Pradesh that celebrates the festival of colors, Holi for 40 continuous days till the actual date of Hindu festival. The pre-Holi festival of Basant begins in Kullu with the procession of the palanquin of Local deity Ragunath. This is a festival to preserve over 400-year-old tradition.
People of Mahant (Preist) community go to the villages celebrating the festival till the actual date. On the occasion of Basant Panchami, people from different villages of Kullu gather at Raghunath temple-manifestation of Lord Ram.
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Raghunath is the principal deity of the Kullu region and Raghunath pre-Holi festival begins with a procession led by the scion of Kullu royal family that start from temple complex to Dhalpur ground. The Kullu Royal family scion is the chief devotee of the Raghunath deity. The head of Kullu royal family, Maheshwar Singh who is also a legislator from Kullu assembly segment, says the pre-Holi festival is being celebrated from over 400 years.
"While Dushhera is the main event of the region, pre-Holi festival is the second auspicious one," Maheshwar Singh said.
After Singh, other Mahants of the region offer colour to the deity, prior to colouring other people present there.
Significance Of The Festival
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This festival is marked to commemorate meeting of Lord Ram with his brother Bharat in exile. One member of the Mahant community represent Lord Hanuman and apply saffron colour on his body and later plays the role of Hanuman, thereby facilitating the meeting of Rama and Bharat.
A full act is carried out depicting Ram-Bharat meeting. In epic Ramayana, when Lord Rama returned to Ayodhya on the culmination of 14 years of exile, Bharata handed over the crown of Ayodhya to him. The people celebrate this occasion by throwing colours at each other.
Priest of Raghunath Temple, Ekadshi Mahant says the troops of saints travel from village to village and celebrate even over a month prior to actual date according to Hindu calendar.
Kullu, The villagers from Bhekhli, Lagvalley, Seobag, Bhuntar, Naggar, Manikaran, Kharal valley and Diyar villages of the region gather to celebrate the historic festival here. (with ANI Input)