E-Paper
40-day Holi festival comes to end in Kullu
The 40-day long festival of colors, which started here on Basant Panchami (January 24), ended with fervour on Thursday. People visited houses of one another, sang traditional songs and threw “gulal” on each other to mark the celebrations.
The 40-day long festival of colors, which started here on Basant Panchami (January 24), ended with fervour on Thursday. People visited houses of one another, sang traditional songs and threw “gulal” on each other to mark the celebrations.
Though the entire nation will celebrate Holi on March 6, the residents here have been celebrating the same a day before the scheduled date.
On Thursday morning, people started gathering at the Royal Palace of Maheshwar Singh- erstwhile ruler of the Kullu kingdom and local MLA of Kullu constituency- at Sultanpur and celebrated Holi.
On the occasion, several folk groups also sang songs and danced to the traditional tunes.
People here believe that after the onset of the festival, “gulal” is thrown on the idol of Lord Raghunath for the next 40 days.
Reportedly, the history of celebrating Holi festivity this way is dated back in 1660 AD when the then king of Kullu, Jagat Singh, had brought the idol of Lord Raghunath from Ayodhya and installed it at Sultanpur in Kullu.
Since then, people have been gathering at the temple and celebrating the festival for 40 days.
