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Himachal is an enchanting
part of the Indian Himalayas and is often referred to as the magical
showcase of nature’s splendours. Verdant green meadows and wide
valleys set against imposing snow clad mountains; limpid lakes,
torrential rivers and gushing streams; fruit laden orchards and
gentle terraces of corn and tea.
The people likewise
imbibe the colorfulness and variety of nature, as reflected in their
rich tradition of folklore, song, dance and music. Setting aside the
daily care and monotony of life, they break into seasonal
celebrations ever so frequently with colourful and lively festivals.
Their songs speak of their past glory and valour in battle, of their
heroes and heroines and of love, passion and in praise of surrounding
nature. Great lovers of music, the Himachalis are heard singing while
on their chores on their terraced fields and at their modest looking
dwellings.
About 90 per cent of the
people consist of Hindus who have a common culture, religion and
tradition. The principal communities are the Brahmins, Rajputs,
Kannets, Rathis and Kolis. The other major group consists of the
tribals in five main divisions: the Gaddis, Kinners, Gujjars,
pangawals and Lahaulis. A hardy and adventurous people, the Gaddis
are the traditional shepherds who rear sheep and move down from the
Alpine pastures to the lower regions during the winter months.
Polyandry and polygamy and practised simultaneously by the Kinners, a
pastoral people inhabiting the hilly tracts of Kinnaur. The Gujjars,
originally Aryan, are generally nomadic who rear buffalo herds. While
the Pangwals, belonging to the Pangi area in Chamba district, have a
composition of both high and low caste Hindus; the Lahaulis, a tribe
of Lahaul-Spiti, are predominantly Buddhist by faith.
Whatever the caste or
creed, the Himachalis, in general, have a highly developed sense of
art which is expressed in their objects of daily use. Their mealware
including attractive utensils, ritualistic vessels, icons and silver
jewellery; the unglazed earthenware of Kangra; embroidered shawls and
other raiments which portray both classical and simple folk styles
and designs; and traditional jewellery for almost all conceivable
uses, are some of their more mentionable crafts.
Weaving of wool is a
major cottage industry by itself. The highlanders of Lahaul-Spiti and
Kinnaur weave dresses from it for special occasions such as festivals
and weddings. The wool products are made in either the Byangi
wool—having a long staple of more populous part—are
predominantly Hindus.
The approach between
Kulu-Manali and Lahaul Spiti via the rohtang Pass did not exist in
ancient times. According to local legend, the Lahaulis came to know
about the existence of profitable market in the south through the
birds and the winds. Forthwith, they beseeched Lord Shiva to open the
ice bound high barrier separating the two valleys. Lord Shiva acceded
but cautioned them thus: “But beware of the winds which my whip
will rake up as I strike down the barrier.” The events followed
as the lord had predicted and when, finally, calm returned, the
people saw that He had created pass to bridge the northern and
southern parts of the State.
Without doubt, the
Himachalis have a deep reverence for the deities from the Hindu
pantheon because life in the mountains is, to say the least,
precarious round every bend. Their fervent pitch of worship is
therefore understandable. Take for instance a very recent legend
pertaining to the Kamru Nag shrine in Mandi district. Thousands of
pilgrims offer gold and ornaments to this deity by throwing them into
a nearby lake in village Marhar. In October 1911, C.C. Garbett, a
British commissioner ordered the draining of the lake to recover gold
and silver for the British treasury. Though the devout followers
advised the British against such a sacrilegious act, they went ahead
with the plan. Providence had, however, something else in mind. And
the governor was forced to abandon his plans due to a bout of severe
dysentery.
Far from being flights of
imagination, the myths and legends of this region are strongly rooted
in Indian philosophy and thought. One of the themes of the legends is
concerned with the concept of prakriti which unfolds, in
different patterns, the numerous forms of the eternal feminine
principle of the Universe. The feminine wisdom gleaned through
experience infuses man’s life with divine energies in the garb
of a wise old lady, as she is the storehouse of life’s manifold
experience and wisdom. The original pattern of femininity (vyakta) is
obtained through what actuates life—the soul. This principle is
at the back of the legend, ‘three Brahmins and goddess
Annapurna’. According to this, the transformation of man took
place at the hands of a woman: in this case, Goddess Annapurna.
Similarly, the legends of Goddess Hateshwari and Naina Devi
represented the divine, sensuous and nourishing aspects of the
feminine principle in the ritual offerings to the deities i.e. the
worship of shakti.
Belief in the vital
female energy or shakti is again manifested in the worship at
the Jwalamukhi temple known for its eternal flare. The miracle of
this unceasing flame is attributed to the Holy Mother Durga.
Legends also delve into
the various aspects in which he masculine principle acts as a mighty,
divine creative force. Here the anima—the aspect of the
eternal feminine—related on the one hand to the male ego and, on
the other hand, to the animus aspect of the eternal masculine
constitute, with the latter, the syzygy of wholeness. This is
demonstrated in the story about Lake Rewalsar. It is said that the
princess of Mandi had developed a high esteem for the spiritual
attainments of a Buddhist monk living at Rewalsar. Her frequent
visits to him roused the jealousy of the Hindu priests. In a frenzy,
they set fire to the forests around Rewalsar in which the monk and
the princess perished. A search for their bodies later took the
people to a lake with floating islands. It is believed that the
spirits of the monk and the princess seated together on a lotus,
float from island to island. They are visible only to the devout and
the sensitive. Surrounded by mountains, Lake Rewalsar’s calm
waters mirror the belief of Hindus, Buddhists and Sikhs alike, all of
whom consider it sacred.
With religion so deeply
rooted in the people of this region, it is hardly surprising that
this State is also the land of fairs and festivals—each with its
own unique features. Culturally, they are an amalgam of the
Shiva-Shakti cult and the Vaishnav faith. Once a year, against the
natural backdrop, the presiding deities are carried in gay palanquins
in colourful processions to the site of the fairs and festivals when
the devotees pay homage to the gods, dance and sing and make merry.
Among the numerous festivals celebrated in every nook and corner of
Himachal is Dussehra, held each year in October and the Dussehra of
Kulu is especially famous. On Dussehra day, a rath (chariot)
embellished in local style carries Lord Raghunathji, the deity of the
valley. Hundreds of other hill Gods are also brought to Kulu on this
occasion. Filled with mirth and gaiety, the people sing and dance in
ecstasy for five days to the accompaniment of their folk musical
bands. The rathyatra of Lord Raghunathji signifies the march of Rama
to conquer Ravana.
The people’s urge to
get together and enjoy life is also reflected in the commercial fairs
when goods are traded or bartered. One such annual fair is the Lavi
fair in Rampur Bushehar which brings together the people of Spiti,
Lahaul and Kinnaur who sell their pashmina and wool articles.
Among the tribal fairs
organized by the people of Pangi, Lahaul and Kinnaur, the Sisu fair
held in March every year at Rewalsar is the most important.
Similarly, the Gaddis and Pangwals hold the Minjar fair once a year
in the charming landscape of Chamba. It is held to appease the rain
god Varuna for timely rains. People adorn themselves with golden silk
minjars (silken tassels), in the festive week starting from
the second Sunday These minjars are immersed in a traditional style
on the holy banks of the Ravi on the outskirts of Chamba town on the
concluding day.
Shakti festivals are
common to the religious places in Kangra and Bilaspur districts when
lakhs old devotees throng the Shakti shrines each year in the
navratras. Famous among them are those held in March April (Chaitra)
and September October (Ashwin) at Bhaonawali in Kangra, Chachanumda
in Dadh and Naina Devi in Bilaspur districts.
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