Thousands Gather in Kalpa, Kinnaur for Historic Raula Festival, Traditional Dance and Customs Shine
The historic Raula Festival is currently being celebrated in Kalpa village of tribal Kinnaur district, Himachal Pradesh. Thousands of tourists, bloggers, and research scholars from across the country have arrived to witness the festival. The venue is so crowded that finding space to stand is a challenge, and performers of the Raula dance are managing their performances amidst the heavy crowd.
The Raula Festival is celebrated over five days according to the orders of Goddess Chandika Mata. During the festival, villagers clean their homes and perform daily rituals. The festival begins with the worship of Sawani, a deity who comes from the high-altitude region called Kande, and concludes with a ceremonial farewell to Sawani.
According to local beliefs, the main purpose of the festival is to please Sawani so that prosperity and happiness remain in the village. The festival features traditional musical instruments, and men perform dances while wearing costumes traditionally worn by women. There are three main characters in the festival—Raula, Raulane, and Pundlu. The Raula’s face is completely covered with a Gachi and jewelry, Raulane wears ornaments and traditional women’s attire, and Pundlu wears masks made of sheep and goat skins and entertains the crowd with humor.
The festival begins at the Brahma Vishnu Temple and concludes at the Narayan Nagin Devi Temple. Both the opening and closing ceremonies include rituals to honor Sawani before sending the deity back.
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