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Dussehra festivity ends as over 225 assembled deities return
Kullu (Himachal Pradesh), Oct 25 (IANS) The centuries-old weeklong Kullu Dussehra celebrations, which began on ‘Vijaya Dashami’ — the day they ended in the rest of the country — concluded on Thursday as over 225 assembled deities started returning to their respective areas amid beating of drums and playing of ‘shehnais’.
The Kullu Dussehra celebrations once again ended without the sacrifice of animals, the practice to appease gods that was followed for centuries, but banned by the High Court in 2014. Instead of animal sacrifice, blood donation camps were organised.
“The festival ended peacefully and the assembled deities have started moving back to their respective areas after performing the Lankadahan ceremony,” a festival organiser told IANS.
Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur and his Cabinet colleague Govind Thakur presided over the concluding ceremonies.
The Chief Minister announced to increase ‘nazrana’ (honorarium) paid to local deities participating in Dussehra by five per cent and the distance allowance by 20 per cent.
The Kullu Dussehra festivities came to an end as the chariot of chief deity Lord Raghunath, being pulled by thousands of devotees, returned to the Lord Raghunath temple here.
The festival dates back to the year 1637 when Raja Jagat Singh was the ruler of Kullu. He invited all local deities in Kullu from various temples to perform a ritual in honour of Lord Raghunath during Dussehra.
Since then, the annual assembly of deities from hundreds of village temples has become a tradition.
The administration has been inviting the deities ever since the rule of princely states came to an end and giving a honorarium to the ‘kardars’ (attendants to the deity concerned) for participating in the festival.
Unlike other places, effigies of Ravan, Meghnad and Kumbhakaran are not burnt in the ceremony.
Instead of animal sacrifice, the local administration held blood donation camps for people during the Dussehra celebrations to contribute to the betterment of society.
“The idea of a blood donation camp was to highlight the prevalence of the spirit of victory of good over evil during Dussehra,” People for Animals Trustee Gauri Maulekhi said in a statement.
Every year the festival attracts scores of tourists, especially foreigners, and researchers to know more about resident ‘gods’ and ‘goddesses’ of the Kullu Valley.
During the festival, transactions worth millions of rupees took place.
Kullu and Kinnauri shawls, handicrafts, carpets and dry fruits were the major attractions.
The picturesque Kullu Valley is known for its local demigods and ancient traditions that govern the lives of the ethnic communities.
Every village has several resident ‘gods’ and ‘goddesses’ who are invoked as living deities.
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.