The Himachal Pradesh high court has dismissed a petition seeking an official invitation and associated facilities for Devta Bansheera Maharaj Sidhwan at the International Kullu Dussehra festival, upholding the decision of Kullu deputy commissioner (DC).
Justice Sandeep Sharma observed that the deity did not meet the historical and traditional criteria required for official inclusion in the festival.
Dismissing the petition on October 15, justice Sandeep Sharma found no illegality in the January 10, 2025, order of the DC, which had rejected the deity’s representation seeking an invitation and facilities similar to those provided to other invited deities.
The court observed that “no documented criteria exist” for inviting deities to the festival and that the Kullu Dussehra Festival Committee had been following tradition as the principal benchmark.
“In other words, invitations are extended to deities which have been attending, or have been invited to, Kullu Dussehra festival for generations and have been widely venerated in the area,” the judgment stated, referring to the historical record of deities reflected in the Wajib-ul-Arz, a revenue document recording customary practices and local traditions.
The petitioner had approached the HC after its request for participation was rejected despite an earlier court direction requiring the competent authority to consider its representation in accordance with law and in light of an inquiry report.
{{/usCountry}}The petitioner had approached the HC after its request for participation was rejected despite an earlier court direction requiring the competent authority to consider its representation in accordance with law and in light of an inquiry report.
{{/usCountry}}The administration did not specifically deny the deity’s registration with the Kardar Sangh but opposed the claim to an invitation and equal facilities. It argued that the deity had not established historical recognition comparable to those traditionally invited to the festival.
The court noted that Devta Bansheera Maharaj Sidhwan originated in 1990 following a separation from the original Devta Bansheera. The deity’s name was also not found in the historical revenue records or the Wajib-ul-Arz, a document recording customary rights and practices in a village.
The Kullu Dussehra Festival Committee and the District Devta Kardar Sangh had opposed the petition, citing financial constraints, a shortage of space and resolutions against providing official facilities to uninvited personal or family deities, commonly referred to as gharelu devtas.