U'khand: Traditional 'Bagwal' festival celebrated at Devidhura temple on Raksha Bandhan

Champawat, Aug 19 (PTI) The traditional festival of 'Bagwal' (a mock fight between groups of devotees) was held in the courtyard of Barahi Dham temple at Devidhura on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan on Monday in Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami's presence.

Champawat's Chief Medical Officer Devesh Chauhan said that 125 persons received minor injuries as the fighting groups hurled stones at each other besides fruits and flowers.

However, they were all discharged after being given first aid, he said.

Though rules of the game have been modified for the safety of people replacing stones with fruits and flowers, stones continue to be used by some players that cause injuries to some participants every year.

The spectacle in which the participants protect themselves against the objects lobbed at them with the help of large wooden shields is watched avidly by the locals, who gather in large numbers in the temple premises and the surrounding areas to see the mock fight.

According to popular belief, demonic forces in this region were continuously killing humans and causing great destruction.

To stop this, the Walig, Lamgadiya, Gahadwal and Chamiyal Khams or groups took refuge in Maa Barahi and pleased the mother by offering the blood of one human through a stone war in the courtyard of her Dham Devidhura.

This tradition has been continuing since ancient times but with time, it has been changed and fruits and flowers are used instead of stones.

However, the modified rule is violated every year leaving some people injured.

The 'Bagwal' started at 2:05 pm and lasted for about 11 minutes. However, it was played for two more minutes after people of one Kham expressed their displeasure over how the mock fight was completed without their participation.

Before the mock fight began, the chief minister offered a bell at the temple and prayed to Goddess Barahi for the prosperity of the state. "Bagwal Mela is a confluence of our folk culture, faith and traditions. It is the duty of all of us to carry forward the folk culture from generation to generation," he said.

Dhami said his government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership is preserving the cultural heritage of Devbhoomi as well as promoting ancient religious sites which are mentioned in the Hindu mythologies.

He said that under the Manaskhand Mandir Mala Mission, the ancient temples of Kumaon region are being beautified and Devidhura is also an important part of the mission. PTI Corr ALM AS AS