KULLU/SHIMLA: The International Kullu Dussehra Festival's first state-level meeting has kicked up a backlash from the devotees, Dev Samaaj and Kardars.
The official release on Curtain raiser and release of Kullu Dusshera brochure issued by the HP PR department today after the meeting in Shimla, omitted any mention of the iconic Lord Raghunath Yatra in the Dhalpur Maidan, which serves as the heart and soul of this week-long celebration, not just for the deities and devotees but for the people of kullu district.
Chief Minister Sukhbirnars Singh Sukhu presided over the state-level meeting of the Kullu Dussehra Committee at the secretariat which was attended by Deputy CM Mukesh Agnihotri, Chief Parliament Secretary and Kulu MLA Sundar Thakur, Manali MLA Bhuvneshwar Gaud, Banjar BJP MLA Surender Shoorie, Anni MLA, the Chief Secretary, and various department heads.
Chief Minister unveiled brochures and inaugurated several projects virtually from Shimla in Kullu. However, the official release failed to find a word on Lord Raghunath Yatra, a presiding deity of Kullu Dussehra.
The festival's official release highlighted cultural contributions from 19 countries and government departmental exhibitions to be showcased during the event. Yet, it conspicuously omitted any reference to Lord Raghunath Yatra, the festival's spiritual core.
Insiders revealed that since Maheshwar Singh, a BJP member, leads the Lord Raghunath Yatra as a longstanding tradition, they speculate that this omission could be politically motivated.
But it has sent a disconcerting signal not only to the Dev Samaaj and Kardar Sangh but to all festival enthusiasts, common people, and deities who converge on Dhalpur Maidan from every corner of Kullu Valley to be a part of the divine get to gather.
