Bagwal festival starts
Bagwal festival starts
B.D.Kasniyal
Pithoragarh, August 17
The eleven day long ‘Bagwal’ festival at ‘Barahi Devi’ temple of Devidhura was inaugurated by Union Minister of state for Road Transport and Almora MP Ajay Tamta on Friday.
Addressing tha gathering, the Union Minister said that protection of ancient cultural identity of Kumaon region is essential.” The fairs like ‘Bagwal’, are the true representatives of our culture of the region,” he claimed.
The ‘Bagwal’ fair is well known for it’s stone war, demonstrated by local villagers before the temple of ‘Barahi Devi’, on the auspicious occasion of ‘Raksha Bandhan’. The stone war is played by selected males of local villagers, who represent 4 clans and 7 landlords families of ancient feudal structure of local society. ” In order to prepare for stone war to be played on August 19, the chiefs of all 4 clans today worshiped Devi’s sedan named as ‘Sangi’, to get blessing of deity ‘Barahi’,” said Laxman Singh Lamgaria, chief patron of the fair.
The four clans which takes part in the stone war, are traditionally known as Lamgaria, Balika, Vhamyal and Gaharwal.”Several devotees including Harish Chandra of Anarpa village under Balik clan (Kham, in local terminology) Jaman Singh of Lamgariya Kham presented silver shields and umbrellas ( Farre and Chatra) to ‘Barahi’ deity today,”said the fair patron
” Keeping the courts orders in mind, the ‘Bagwal’ will be played with fruits and flowers instead of stones,” said Lamgaria. “Keeping the flow of devotees and vehicles attending the fair , we have decided to ban entry of vehicles to main market place of fair for all 11 days of Mela duration, for that 6 barriers have been made along the 7 km long Mela area,” said Vandana Verma, Circle Officer of Champawat police.
