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International Shivratri Festival in Mandi
S.D.Sharma Sundernagar
With the arrival of ‘Kamrunag’, the local deity of Mandi, the Shivratri Fair has started in the Paddal Ground of Mandi with much fervour. Thousands of people came to the venue to view this spectacular ceremony. The famous Shivratri Fair is celebrated every year in Mandi with great dedication and passion and this time too it is a great attraction for the locals and tourists. Many contests will be organised this time too like previous years. Traditional music instrument playing contest (related to the local deities) will be held during the fair, in which localBajantaris will play the tunes and melodies by their traditional instruments. Bajantaris are fully prepared for the contest. This contest is basically connected to the Himachali deities (devi and devta). Apart from this, evening cultural programmes are the star attractions of the fair where artists of national and international fame regale the audience besides Himachal artists. In the dance contests, famous local dances Kami-Dhami-Natti and other traditional folk dances will also be performed. In view of the large number of gods and goddesses that are invited to the festival from its 81 temples, Mandi town has the title of ‘Varanasi of the Hills (Chotti Kashi)’. These deities are Dev Bithu Narayan, Dev Chunjwala Chanjanu, Dev Chamahu, andDev Chunjwala Rishi etc. The village gods are carried in palanquins or rathas (chariots by people) to Mandi on the day of Shivratri and Bajantaris play the local tunes and melodies with their local instruments. The palanquins of the deities are swayed to the drum beats and folk music to indicate their happiness after visiting the temples. Notably, Shivratri is celebrated all over the country, but it has assumed a special significance in Mandi, the town of temples, where week-long celebrations are held amidst colourful festivities in keeping with the centuries old royal traditions of the ancient princely rulers of the erstwhile Mandi State when Shivratri used to be a great imperial celebration marked with religious fervour and gaiety
With the arrival of ‘Kamrunag’, the local deity of Mandi, the Shivratri Fair has started in the Paddal Ground of Mandi with much fervour. Thousands of people came to the venue to view this spectacular ceremony. The famous Shivratri Fair is celebrated every year in Mandi with great dedication and passion and this time too it is a great attraction for the locals and tourists. Many contests will be organised this time too like previous years. Traditional music instrument playing contest (related to the local deities) will be held during the fair, in which localBajantaris will play the tunes and melodies by their traditional instruments. Bajantaris are fully prepared for the contest. This contest is basically connected to the Himachali deities (devi and devta). Apart from this, evening cultural programmes are the star attractions of the fair where artists of national and international fame regale the audience besides Himachal artists. In the dance contests, famous local dances Kami-Dhami-Natti and other traditional folk dances will also be performed. In view of the large number of gods and goddesses that are invited to the festival from its 81 temples, Mandi town has the title of ‘Varanasi of the Hills (Chotti Kashi)’. These deities are Dev Bithu Narayan, Dev Chunjwala Chanjanu, Dev Chamahu, andDev Chunjwala Rishi etc. The village gods are carried in palanquins or rathas (chariots by people) to Mandi on the day of Shivratri and Bajantaris play the local tunes and melodies with their local instruments. The palanquins of the deities are swayed to the drum beats and folk music to indicate their happiness after visiting the temples. Notably, Shivratri is celebrated all over the country, but it has assumed a special significance in Mandi, the town of temples, where week-long celebrations are held amidst colourful festivities in keeping with the centuries old royal traditions of the ancient princely rulers of the erstwhile Mandi State when Shivratri used to be a great imperial celebration marked with religious fervour and gaiety
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