The Dussehra celebrations in the Kullu valley in Himachal Pradesh begin on the Vijayadasami day or when the Dasara festivities end in other parts of India
Raja Jagat Singh who ruled the Kullu valley during the seventeenth century once went on a pilgrimage to Manikaran. Here he was told by a person that a man in his kingdom named Durga Dutt had a collection fine gems and pearls. The king immediately sent his soldiers to Durga Dutt asking if he is interested in selling some of the gems.
But the pious Dutt had no pearls or gems. The soldiers who were sent by the king were not ready to believe Dutt and started beating him. Dutt, in order to escape the torture, said that he will sell the gems when the king returns back from his pilgrimage.
When the king returned, he along with the soldiers went to Durga Dutt asking for the gems. Durga Dutt locked himself and his family in a room and set it ablaze. When his body was burning Dutt removed flesh from his body and threw it outside saying here take the gems and pearls!!
The king who witnessed the horrible scene lost his peace of mind. He started to have bad dreams and saw worms crawling all around the palace and even in his food. He felt the water in his palace is turning into human blood. The hallucination and guilty mind made Raja Jagat Singh weak and the news of his illness spread around the country. Various physicians came to cure him but none of them were successful.
Finally, a saint named Pahari Baba said that the only way to cure the King was through the blessings of Lord Ram. The King has to get the idol of Lord Ram worshipped in Ayodhya Tret Nath temple and install it in the kingdom and worship it.
A saint named Damodar Das in the kingdom had the power to get murtis of Gods from far of places. He used his power to get the idol worshipped in the Tret Nath Temple
The murti was installed in Sri Raghunathji Temple
Raja Jagat Singh started worshipping in the temple and soon he showed signs of recovery and within a month the King recovered fully with the blessings of Lord Ram. The king abdicated his throne to Lord Ram and remained as a regent. All the people in the kingdom became the followers of Lord Ram and all the Gods and Goddesses worshipped in the valley accepted Raghunathji as the Supreme Lord.
The king then ordered all the priests to arrive with the deities in their respective temples to offer obeisance to Raghunathji on Vijayadasami day and then participate in the 7-day celebrations.
Thus Kullu Dussehra begins on the Vijayadasami day and ends seven days later.
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Know About Kullu Dussehra Festival
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Know About Kullu Dussehra Festival