The country will celebrate Holi festival on March 9 but a unique 40-day-long Holi festivity started in Kullu after pulling the chariot of Lord Raghunath and people throwing gulal on each other on Thursday.
The Holi celebrations in Kullu begin 40 days in advance on the occasion of Basant Panchami every year. Thousands of people thronged the Rath Maidan of Kullu to celebrate the occasion. The puja started from Raghunath temple and the idol of the deity was brought to the Rath Maidan in its palanquin. Throwing gulal at each other and chanting “Raghunath Ji Ki Jai”, the crowd then pulled the chariot to the Dussehra ground to perform the rituals.
The puja started from Raghunath temple and the idol of the deity was brought to the Rath Maidan in its palanquin. Throwing gulal at each other and chanting “Raghunath Ji Ki Jai”, the crowd then pulled the chariot to the Dussehra ground to perform the rituals.
Holi will be played at Raghunath temple for 40 days till March 10. The reunion of Lord Rama and Bharat remains the main attraction of the event while a person impersonating Lord Hanuman with Hanuman Sindoor applied to his entire body remains present at the occasion. People try to touch the Hanuman and also the rope to pull the chariot as it is considered auspicious.
Rath yatra of Lord Raghunath during Basant Panchami at Kullu on January 30
Maheshwar Singh, chhadivardar (prime servant) of Lord Raghunath and scion of erstwhile Kullu state, said Holi and Basant Panchami are being celebrated in Kullu for decades now.“The festivity is now celebrated in a large scale. The ritual of rath-yatra on Basant Panchami was stopped for nearly 50 years due to unknown reasons. The ritual was restarted in 2009. The occasion is marked by applying colours to the idol of Lord Raghunath and thousands of devotees,” he said.
“The festivity is now celebrated in a large scale. The ritual of rath-yatra on Basant Panchami was stopped for nearly 50 years due to unknown reasons. The ritual was restarted in 2009. The occasion is marked by applying colours to the idol of Lord Raghunath and thousands of devotees,” he said.
According to historians, the unique Holi festivity of Kullu started a few years after the idol of Lord Raghunath was brought to Kullu from Ayodhya by the then ruler Raja Jagat Singh in 1660.Raghunath is the most revered deity of Kullu valley. Weeklong Dussehra festivities are organized at Kullu in the honour of Lord Raghunath.
Raghunath is the most revered deity of Kullu valley. Weeklong Dussehra festivities are organized at Kullu in the honour of Lord Raghunath. Raghunath temple of Kullu is a popular tourist destination.
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