Call for ‘Jagati’ as all deities not invited to Dasehra festival

Our Correspondent

KULLU, NOVember 1

A ‘Jagati’ (a congregation of the Gods and Goddesses of the district) will be held at the premises of Lord Raghunath on November 16 as some deities demanded that it was not right not to allow all the deities to participate in the Dasehra festivities. The deities through their oracles (gurs) said that serious consequences will have to be faced if the human beings interfere in the traditional rituals of the deities.

Around 300 deities used to participate in the Dasehra festival. However, this year it was decided by the Kullu Dasehra Festival Committee that only seven deities, who had a major role in performing the traditional rituals, will participate even as 14 deities participated in the festivities and many of them expressed their resentment for not letting all the deities visit their own camp temples at Dhalpur ground during the festival. Some deities also visited office of DC and SP and expressed their displeasure.

“Chharibardar” (chief caretaker) of Lord Raghunath Maheshwar Singh said that ‘Jagati’ will be held on the day of ‘Annakoot’ festival. He said that angry deities will be pacified and they will be requested not to do anything harmful.

A “Jagati” is the congregation of various deities in order to find a solution to a certain problem through their oracles. It symbolizes the assembly of Gods and Goddesses at a fixed venue where the deities decide the future plans for the safety and welfare of the people of the valley after intensive counselling and discussions.

Maheshwar said that the “Jagati” could be arranged on the request of the local deities at three places if deities foresee some natural calamities or danger to the people of the valley. The “Jagati” could be organised at Raghunath temple for the small matters. The second type was a routine “Jagati” held after four-five years during the Dasehra festival at the Dhalpur ground. The third and the most important of all is called at Jagati Pat in Naggar village.

The “Jagati” was organised in 1970 while the Kullu valley faced a severe drought. After that ‘Jagati’ was held on February 16, 2006 to decide the fate of ski village project. Then ‘Jagati’ was held on September 26, 2014 when the High Court directed the state government to impose a ban on animal sacrifice. The “Jagati” was called by deity Dhumal Naag in order to preserve sanctity of the places of deities at Dhalpur ground during and after the Dasehra festival on November 24, 2019.

Some members of the Dev Samaj resented that they were not taken into confidence by the Kullu Dasehra Festival Committee on the issue of inviting the deities for the festivities.

Only 14 deities participated

Around 300 deities participate in the Dasehra festival. This year it was decided by Kullu Dasehra Festival committee that only seven deities, who had a major role in performing the traditional rituals, will participate. However, 14 deities participated in the festivities Many of them expressed their resentment for not letting all the deities visit their own camp temples during the festival. Some deities visited office of DC and SP and expressed their displeasure.