Thousands join Lord Raghunath’s chariot procession in Kullu

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Thousands of devotees joined the grand chariot procession of Lord Raghunath as the seven-day International Kullu Dussehra festival began at Dhalpur ground in Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday, with chants of “Jai Shri Ram” echoing through the gathering.

Himachal Pradesh Governor Kavinder Gupta attended the procession along with Congress incharge Rajni Patil and state party president Vinay Kumar.

Lord Raghunath arrived from Raghunathpur around 4 pm and was seated in his chariot. The procession then moved towards the deity’s temporary camp at Dhalpur, where devotees bowed before the chariot and sought blessings.

Deities from different parts of the Kullu valley also participated in the traditional event. Those present included Mata Hidimba, Bijli Mahadev, Adi Brahma, Kartik Swami, Nag Dhumal, Veernath, Bir Kela, Mata Gayatri, Mata Tripura Sundari and Mata Kali Odi, among others.

Maheshwar Singh, the chief attendant of Lord Raghunath, and members of the royal family were also present. Priests performed traditional rituals as drums and other indigenous musical instruments accompanied the procession.

For the next seven days, Lord Raghunath will remain at the temporary camp in Dhalpur before returning to his temple after the Lanka Dahan ritual. Governor Gupta is also scheduled to inaugurate the cultural evening at the Kala Kendra.

Gupta described Kullu Dussehra as an age-old tradition centred on local deities. He said thousands of people participate in Lord Raghunath’s procession, with visitors from across India and abroad travelling to Dhalpur to witness the spectacle.

Tourists from different places shared their experiences of the festival. Mohit, who travelled from Lucknow, said he had heard about Kullu Dussehra earlier but found the sight of thousands of devotees gathering alongside the deities captivating.

Jennifer, a visitor from Mumbai, said the procession had moved her emotionally and that she was witnessing such a spectacle for the first time.

Alex, a tourist from France, described the festival’s traditions as unique. He said the procession had helped him understand the region’s religious culture and that he planned to visit other deities’ camps in Dhalpur in the coming days.