A battle of ‘penance’ marks Dussehra in Jaunsar villages

Dehradun: While much of the country marks Dussehra by burning Ravana effigies, residents of Kuroli and Udpalta in Chakrata’s tribal Jaunsar-Bawar region observe the festival with a symbolic battle fought with taro stems — the traditional Gagli yudh. The ritual is rooted in the deaths of two young girls more than a century ago.

As neighbouring communities gather each year for the battle, residents mourn the tragedy they believe still binds the two villages.“The fight is penance,” said Anil Rai of Udpalta. Village head Rajendra Rai said the tradition has been practised for centuries.

The day begins with pitra pujan. Villagers then make effigies of the girls from banana stems and immerse them in a nearby water source.

Accompanied by the beats of dhol-nagaras and the ransingha, they dance and sing while carrying gagli stalks and leaves before gathering at Devdar, a scenic spot where elders and youngsters from both villages take part in the traditional battle.“The legend goes back a century. There was water scarcity in the region, and water had to be sourced from natural sources.

A well sat on the outskirts of the village. Two friends, Rani and Moni, from two sub-castes, went to collect water, but one fell into the well and died.

When the villagers found out, there was a clash between the two sub-castes, and the other friend went and jumped into the same well, ending her life. Since then, the villagers have taken the blame on themselves,” Rai said.

Locals believe they will be free of the guilt only when a girl child is born in both villages on Vijay Dashmi. The village head said, “The festivities, known as the Painta festival, begin only after the prayers and yudh are completed.” Villagers believe that any deviation from the tradition will bring misfortune.

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Key quotes

• “The fight is penance,”

• “The festivities, known as the Painta festival, begin only after the prayers and yudh are completed.”