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Durga Ashtami celebrated with pomp in the Keonthal area with Dharadi puja

Durgashtami i.e. the traditional festival of Eight was celebrated with great enthusiasm in the Keonthal area last evening with the worship of Dharadi. Let us tell you that in the hilly areas, Dharadi Puja has special significance on the Ashtami of Navratri of Asoj month. Dharadi is a wild white-colored flower that is worshiped as Durga on the day of Ashtami. Senior citizen Vishwanand Thakur says that the festival of Dharadi marks the end of Navratri and the arrival of autumn, which people celebrate with great devotion and faith for happiness and prosperity. Similarly, senior citizens Pritam Thakur, Atar Singh Thakur, etc. say that the tradition of worshiping Dharadi has been going on since time immemorial. On the day of Ashtami, people collect Dharadi flowers from the forests make bunches of them, and decorate the house with flower garlands at the place of worship. Which Bhairav ​​is also made along with Durga Maa, which is called Dharada in the local language. At night, ritual worship is done by the head of the house by offering incense, lamps, Nevaidh, and homemade dishes in front of Dharadi. After that the people of the house have dinner. On this day, Pahari dishes like Askali and dal rice are prepared at home.
He said that in some areas of the then Keonthal princely state, all the family members respectfully leave the Dharadi in the temple of the local deity where bhajans and traditional songs are also sung by the women. Whereas in some villages, Dharadi is released in the last hour of the night i.e. at four in the morning near the local temple or near the water fountains. They say that the festival of Dharadi is not celebrated for any special unavoidable reasons like Sutak Patak and people consider breaking this festival as a bad omen. On this occasion, people invite Dharadi to come next year with the same joy. In the changing environment, festivals are carriers of culture that inspire brotherhood, mutual cooperation, and living together.

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