Chipla Kedar yatra undertaken bare foot to 16,000 ft. high Himalayan region concludes

Chipla Kedar yatra undertaken bare foot to 16,000 ft. high Himalayan region concludes

B.D. Kasniyal

Pithoragarh, Oct 2

‘Chipla Kedar Yatra’, a seven nights eight days bare foot trek by devotees to 16000 feet high Chipla Kedar temple in Baram region across Gori river in high Himalayan region, concluded after the return of villagers at Jara jibli, and distribution of sacred water (Bar pani) among the villagers.

“The ‘Chipla Kedar Yatra’, solemnised by villagers of 40 villages situated across Gori river every third year since last 500 years to  venerate deity Chipla as their protector deity,” said Narendra Singh Parihar, a villager of Baram village.

As every village has their own route to reach at 16000 feet high Chipla Kund but Parihar went with the group of Jara jibli village that returned to Duskar Dev temple on September 25th after completing 16 km steep trek in 5 days bare foot to please their clan deity Chipla.

“In the 600 pilgrims group of the village, 66 were those youths whose sacred thread ceremony ( Janaeu) was solemnised during the yatra,” said Parihar.

“The youths, willing to bear sacred thread (janeu) ceremonially during Yatra wore white turban cloths and a bell in their neck and travel bare feet from early morning  till evening to reach Chipla Kund and give intimation of their reaching to deity by sounding a long metal pipe  (Bhakor),” said Parihar

At 16000 feet high location of deity Chipla, the story of brave deeds of Chipla is sung in form of ‘Jhoora’, by the pilgrims.

According to the local tales of villagers, the Chipla deity was not local and had come with his nine brothers from Nepal. “As she ended the cruel regime of Yarmi Charmi kings of the region and relieved the local folks from their injustice and cruelty, the locals venerated the deity to thank him by citing his tale of bravery against Yarmi Charmi rulers of bygone era,” said Parihar.