Art & Culture
Dhami Village celebrates festival of stones
This fair is held in village Halog of tehsil Shimla. Halog was the capital of erstwhile Dhami state. The fair is held on the second day of Diwali in the month of Kartik(November). In ancient times human sacrifice,it is said, used to be offered to goddess Kali every year at the spot where the fair is now held. It is also said that on this day the widow of a ruler of the state performed ‘Satti’ and that before doing so she had ordered to make human sacrifice henceforth.
Video:Girish Verma
Human sacrifice was stopped after sometimes. Stone throwing fight between two parties is the main attraction of the fair and whatever blood oozes out from the wounds caused by injuries on the bodies of the participants is collected and offered to the Kali. Apart from the stone throwing game the ‘hindola’ ride is also enjoyed.
An age–old tradition of pelting small stones at each other and smearing a ‘tilak’ on the forehead of Goddess Kali with the blood of the injured was held in this village in Himachal Pradesh, once the favourite hunting ground of the British.
Old–timers say in the 18t century ‘Patharon ka Mela’ (festival of stones) male adults from Halog, the erstwhile capital of Dhami estate, and neighbouring village Jamog gathered here, 22 km from Shimla, and pelted small stones at each other.
Art & Culture
Use Offerings Made at Himachal’s Hindu Religious Institutions Only For Hindus, Employ Only Hindus: HP Govt
Shimla-The Additional Chief Secretary of the Himachal Pradesh Language, Art & Culture Department has issued a notification barring the use of offerings made at the Hindu religious places or institutions for non-Hindu Communities.
Directions in this regard have been issued to Commissioners (temple) under Section 27 of the Himachal Pradesh Hindu Public Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments Act, 1984.
“All the receipts or offerings including gold and silver of the Hindu Public Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments shall be used only for the purposes pertaining to the welfare and other activities relating to only Hindus. No receipts or offerings shall be used for the purposes associated with activities relating to Non-Hindus,” the notification said.
Further, now, no non-Hindu person would be given any sort of employment at the Hindu religious institutions/places.
“All the officers and officials including the personnel related to security etc. whether appointed or deputed or taken on outsourcing basis shall be out of the persons professing the Hindu religion only,” the notification said.
No further clarification was provided regarding the intended purpose of this move.
Art & Culture
Kullu Dussehra 2021: All Religious Ceremonies to be Allowed, But No Commercial and Cultural Events
Shimla-The International Kullu Dussehra would be organised from 15th October to 21st October, 2021, the Himachal Pradesh Government informed today after holding a meeting regarding the same.
The HP Government has decided that all deities would be invited for the Dussehra festival. Orgnaization of all religious ceremonies would be allowed traditionally, but the cultural and commercial activities would not be held.
Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur presided over meeting of State Level Kullu Dussehra Committee. Directions were given to ensure proper security system, uninterrupted electricity supply and adherence of Covid-19 guidelines.
It was also decided in the meeting that Language, Art and Culture Department would provide an additional amount of Rs. 10 lakh to district administration Kullu for organising Kullu Dussehra festival.
Art & Culture
Wah Re Corona: Himachali Folk Artist’s Lyrical Satire is Factual Rendition of India’s Agonizing Catastrophe
Shimla-Otherwise blatantly vocal and distinctively mass-mobilizing government of India is suddenly in the most subdued self after its proclaimed victory over the deathly virus; participation in uncontrolled election rallies; and permitting maha melas. The stalwarts are in the hiding, while helpless citizens – who voted them into power not once but in landslide victories twice – are dying due to lack of oxygen, poor – unavailable – medical facilities, and the denial stance of the ignorant in the helm.
Drawing a comparison between the fatal coronavirus and the mismanagement of the entire situation by the appalling government; a Himachali folk artist has released a factually appropriate lyrical satire that will tickle your mind and leave you to imagine what has brought this catastrophe onto us. The song is written by Rameshwar Sharma and music by Lalit Sauta.
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