Every year, hundreds of people from the high mountains come to my hometown to celebrate the weeklong festival of Shivratri. Celebrated in the month of March, this festival has been granted the status of International Festival by the State Government.
I too had the good fortune of visiting this festival on numerous occasions and every time I experience the warmth of rich cultural heritage of mountains. Though one has to bear in mind that you ought to plan your travel carefully for the festival attracts hundreds of tourists from across the globe. Plan in advance if the key to hassle free enjoyment.
The festival is celebrated in two parts, the mornings are meant for deities and their followers to seek blessings. The second half is the night programme which is sort of a sing-n-dance extravaganza. Because I am on the other side of 35, night programmes do not entice me anymore, however if you are the kind of person that enjoys live performances, I would rather suggest that you stick around.
Here are some photographs, some old and some new, that I have clicked over the years. This time, my camera malfunctioned and I was left with only a handful of photographs on my card. Hopefully, I shall be able to recover them.
Welcoming the Guest Dieties
The Presiding Diety - Presiding King of the Erstwhile Mandi Kingdom
Guests Leaving after the weeklong festivities get over, with a promise to meet again
The face of the diety
Meeting of Dieties
Congregation of the Faithful
You can take a bus or a cab to reach the festival ground. Next March, you too can be a part of this cultural extravaganza.
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Disclaimer: All the photographs clicked by me and a few of them were posted on my Facebook Profile