Shaant Yagya: A Homecoming for The Festival of Himalayas

Snowclad Darkhul the seat of Devta Gudaru 

Ball had started rolling for the upcoming festival of Shaant – The Festival of the Hills, at my native village of Diswani, ever since Pratishtha (in Pahari dialect: Patishta) of Devta Gudaru of Diswani was done at the revered sanctum of Darkhul in January 2009.

Whole village had contributed to the re-construction of the Darkhul, and it was only over in later end of the year 2008 and on January 6th to 8th, 2009 village hosted celebration of Pratishtha Yagya by inviting Devtas from nearby villages.

But the three day Yagya last held in December 1968, has its inception, centuries back, from the same very village, so this festival is homecoming of the tradition of Shaant Yagya celebrated in Rohru region of the erstwhile Shimla hill state. Another village in the Rohru region hosted this festival in 2014 (See Pic)

Shaant Yagya at Devidar village, 2014 | Shimla Life

I am humbled by the words of my elders, who while speaking about the significance of this festival have me told me that this yagya seeks welfare, peace and prosperity to all. As the name suggest in Sanskrit 'Shaant' means 'at peace'. The celebration shall be in the Shaivaite tradition of Himalayas country and deities shall be honoured with three day long Yagya, along with sacrifice. People will celebrate this occasion no less than celebrations of marriage in every household welcome anyone and everyone to their house. "No-one should stay hungry", declared one of our village elder, "for these three days. It will be a test of our village as gracious hosts."

First day called the Sangheda, will welcome devotees, guest Khoond (village tribes) and their invited village deities; second day named Shikha-Pher will have two of the invited village deities taking roles of leading ceremony of Shika and Pher. Shikha Poojan will be done on the top of the Darkhul (see pic) and Pher  or the Parikrama of whole village will have designate village deity cover the whole village to secure it. And final day of Uchhadpachhadi will see final ceremony in the lawns of Darkhul on 10th December, following which all devotees shall lead to their respective places.

And just like you loved ones who stay long, we also want them to sleep-over. Some of the village trible and the village deity can and many a time do stay in Darkhul as guest.

Shaant Dates: 8,9,10 January 2017

Full Address: Diswani village, Rohru, Distt Shimla, Himachal Pradesh.

Curious case of Ta-Ta names in Shimla

“What is in a name?” asks Shakespeare in his most loved play Romeo & Juliet, “that which we call a rose by any other would smell as sweet”.

As one travels to Himalayan countryside in Himachal to find people putting Ta-Ta in their names is not because of its overwhelming brand appeal of Indian conglomerate Tata. Be it the Priety Zinta, Deshta, Panta, or the tongue twisting Sasramta, Persingta, Khanolta all of these one could easily find in telephone directory of Shimla district.

Origins to these surnames one finds in the tradition of associating village-name or the ancestor’s or the family elder’s names along with given names to specify one’s identity. This practice ending with letters –ta, is most particular to the coming under the erstwhile Shimla Hill State, which had later merged with parts of Punjab ranging under foothills of Shivalik Mountain to form today’s Himachal Pradesh.

An earlier version of the blog by the same author had featured detailed list names here.