People celebrate Kahika festival in Kullu

KULLU - Thousands of people from different parts of Himachal Pradesh converged in Kullu on the occasion of Kahika festival, as locals celebrated the traditional festival in Diyar village.

The village adorned with colourful canopies, people blowing trumpets and sound of hymns in the air marked the beginning of the Kahika traditional festival.

An important ritual observed during the festival is a mock sacrificial ceremony of a member of Naur tribe and getting his life back from the gods.

“In Diyar, we perform this Narmedhya Yajna every three years and since many generations we have been celebrating this festival,” said Prushottam Sharma, a devotee.

The natives believe that the prayers performed during the festival sanctify the village and purify the souls of the people participating in it.

“The god of heaven lord Indra was cursed after he misbehaved with the wife of saint Gautamish. To mark this occasion the Narmedhya yag is conducted with ancient customs and rituals,” said Sharma.

The festival is also viewed as a testing time for the local deity Trijugi Narayan to show its supernatural power.

The ritual is being performed since Vedic period and in Shimla the festival is called ‘Bhunda’ whereas in Kullu, it is called as Kahika festival.

This year’s celebrations witnessed participation of thousands of devotees from all over the state and the nearby areas. By Prem Thakur (ANI)