Oracle Warning from King Ghepan’s Shrine Sends Chill Through Lahaul’s Sissu Nalla?
SHIMLA/KEYLONG:
A deep silence fell over the Chandra valley today as an ancient ritual brought a message that’s shaken locals to the core.
You may ridicule the shaman, but believers trust him and follow him as they have been doing it over the centuries.
In a rare and sacred oracle ceremony held at the shrine of Raja Ghepan—the revered deity of Lahaul’s Chandra valley—the divine message was clear: something ominous is looming over Sissu Nalla.
But what exactly it is, even the gods kept unsaid.
The oracle, interpreted through the region’s spiritual medium (locally known as Gur), didn’t reveal whether the impending danger would come as a natural disaster—like a Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF)—or in another form.
But it was enough to send a wave of fear and confusion through the nearby villages of Shashin and Gompathang, who have kept this centuries-old tradition alive.
“Be alert, trouble is coming,” was the cryptic warning delivered during the divination ceremony, performed at a fixed sacred spot identified by the villagers, amid drums, trumpets, and age-old chants.
🌊 A Mountain’s Hidden Fury?
Interestingly, the warning aligns with growing scientific concerns about the formation of glacial lakes in the mountains above Sissu.
These lakes—fed by melting Himalayan glaciers—pose real risks of bursting and triggering flash floods downstream.
Experts have been warning of GLOFs across Himachal’s high-altitude terrain, and this divine prediction has stirred even more anxiety.
“Is it a warning from nature itself, voiced through the gods?” asked an elder from Shashin, unsure whether to turn to scientists or shamans.
🛕 The Ritual – A Sacred Affair
The oracle ceremony—held only on auspicious days like Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays in June—was led by the Gur, the traditional priest, and the villagers from Shashin and Gompathang, who consider Raja Ghepan their guardian deity.
On this occasion, a decorated chariot symbolizing the deity is brought out.
The ritual begins with a procession to a designated spot outside the village where the oracle is sought.
The Gur, after invoking the divine presence, delivers the future message.
Today’s ceremony carried extra weight as the Tingla Gur, believed to be the voice of Ghepan’s commander, Achhi, spoke of destruction in Sissu Nalla and hinted at a spiritual journey in 2027 to a “big brother” named Jambhulu—a name symbolic in local mythology.
“This isn’t just folklore. When Ghepan speaks, the valley listens,” said Himal Thakur, a villager who has seen the oracle come true in the past.
What Comes Next?
Following the ceremony, villagers returned home with more questions than answers.
While the Gur recommended special rituals and sacrifices to ward off illness and misfortune, many residents are also hoping scientists and administration take a closer look at the growing risks around Sissu Nalla, especially with signs of unstable terrain and rising glacial water bodies.
This is not the first time an oracle from Raja Ghepan has hinted at troubling times.
But today’s message—vague yet weighty—has rekindled fears of nature’s unpredictable wrath in a region already on the edge.
#LahaulOracle #SissuWarning #ClimateChangeOrCurse #RajaGhepanSpeaks
