Traditional seven-day Holi Celebration concludes in Rajouri with Bhairav Devta procession.

GNS ONLINE NEWS PORTAL 

SHYAM SOOD 

RAJOURI MAR 16:-Seven-day-long traditional Holi celebrations concluded here at Rajouri last evening with Bhairav Devta procession followed by hundreds of youths.

Nobody here in Rajouri knows since when the people of Rajouri have been celebrating Holi festival for seven days by taking out the procession of Bhairav Devta (except Tuesday), but the festival symbolizes communal harmony during the Holi festival.

Holi here at Rajouri gets altogether a different colour when a man painted in black chases youths who run along with him and feel blessed when hit by the man (Bhairav Devta) with forceps in his hand.

The man who plays the role of Bhairav Devta wears only underwear and comes out of Kali Mata temple followed by drummers after painting his body with black soot and paints using oils.
He puts a turban like thing on his head with a ponytail attached to the turban. This pony tail is called “Paranda” in the local language.

Elders of historic old Rajouri town though have no exact information about when this Bhairav Devta procession tradition was started, but are of the view that if the procession is not carried out in a certain year the people of Rajouri town may face natural calamities next year.

According to a myth, once Rajouri town was gripped by an unidentified disease.
and people had approached a Sadhu who told them to paint a man with black paint and have a round of the town followed by them.

“The people in the town think that by celebrating this festival they are saved from evil. There is a temple in Rajouri which is dedicated to Bhairav Devta” said Vishal Dutta, President Bhairav Devta Committee.

“According to belief, natural calamities struck the town whenever the procession was not carried out. So, our ancestors evolved a tradition to organise a Bhairav Devta procession every year”.

The Man impersonating Bhairav Devta does not hit women and children. The secular nature of this festival is its biggest point.

Bhairav Devta processions on the occasion of Holi festival bring joy to thousands of people in this town and solace to many with a hope that nothing would happen in the town.

Like every year, elaborate security arrangements were made for the peaceful culmination of traditional Holi celebrations by the Civil and Police administrations.