Seraj like Mahasu was once a
unified region governed by the deities. A major part of it is still governed by
the deities of Kullu, Shimla, and Mandi. Even today the electoral
constituencies are divided as Inner and Outer Seraj. Seraj is famous for its
historical temples and its age old traditions. On one side we have the Great
Dhauladhar in the backdrop and on the other side we have the thick uncharted
boondocks of the Janjehli Valley.
In between lies the Court of the Lord Ghatotkach, the Kotlu
– Markanda temple.
The name Markanda is derived from the name of
Great Indian sage Rishi Markandeywho once meditated in the Seraj Valley.
There is a temple dedicated to the Markandey Rishi in Bagi Village,
5km from the Kotlu temple. It is believed that Ghatotkach, son of Bhim and Hidimbi,
was blessed by the sage to judge the good from the bad. Probably that marked
the start of his out-of-the-world (yet effective) justice system.
The justice system of nails, iron rods, and barbed wires.
The court of the deity, Dev Kotlu as it is called
in the region, governs a significant number of villages. The court of the Dev handles
issues related to theft and social injustice. The sufferer fastens a nail
to the wooden plank at the altar of the temple. That means a case has been filed. The justice system starts working with immediate effect. Some fix an iron rod
and some choose a barbed wire. Probably a barbed wire is fixed when the theft
or injustice is rarest of the rare cases.
Here, the cases are solved with lightning speed. The accused
(if guilty) comes to the temple on his own, and requests the Dev to
dismiss his/her case. The Goor, messenger of/to the deity then initiates
the compromise between the two parties. Only the concerned parties get to know
about the details. Dham (feast) is organized and the issue is
considered solved permanently.
If the accused is adamant, the Dev tests him by
inflicting damage to his crops, cattle, or health. The ‘laato ke bhoot baton se
nahin maante’ principle applies here until the accused realizes his
mistake.
Of Nails, Iron Rods, and Barbed Wires – Ghatotkach’s Court
Dev Kotlu Markanda
I spoke to the pujari (priest) of the temple about the
effectiveness of the Justice System. This is what he had to say.
“Faith is/was all we had when this village was unknown to
the external world. Even today we don’t have road connectivity. To file a court
case against a theft, thefts or evil doers can’t be stopped, we can’t think of
going to Mandi or Kullu. The best thing is asking the Dev to solve our case.
Half of the times the victim forgives the accused. You see walking 5km uphill
to seek justice makes you compassionate. I have seen people walking angrily to
complain and by the time they reach at the temple, they just can’t afford to be
vengeful.”
This was probably the logic behind setting up the court this
far. The pujari also confirmed that because of this Har
Gaanv Ki Kahani Program, the vice of casteism was also losing ground.
Surprisingly, I wasn’t asked about my caste while entering the temple premises
and that’s one good thing.
The pujari further stated, “It’s easy to pass our
beliefs as myths because outsiders don’t have to live our lives. What is bad is
bad and we all condemn it. But something like law and order is always a matter
of divine intervention. Even in our courts, an honest judge is called aDevta.
Here too, Ghatotkach was a human being who achieved Godly status by
governing his state in near-perfect manner. The system still works. We are just
continuing the old system in the best possible way. That’s the simple
explanation we have to offer.”
Makes sense to me.
What appears as a myth or a superstition today was once the
way of life. Times did change but those myths (sic) were so deep rooted in the
lives of people that it would take something more than just criticism to forget
those so called myths, if at all they are to be forgotten.
Damsehar Temple, Seraj Mandi
Bagi View from Dev Kotlu Temple
How to Reach?
The simplest way is to fill your petrol tanks at
Mandi/Pandoh or Aut and then hit the Aut-Jalori road. From Balichowki,
head towards the Thachi Village where from akuchha road of 20 kilometers
takes you to the temple. One has to hike for an hour or so to reach the temple
from Bagi Village. If you hike further to the right, it’s highly likely that
you’ll reach Janjehli or Shikari Devi Temple (3300 meters) by the end of the
day.
There is an alternate way from Sudhrani village but that
takes a minimum of 8 hours on foot. The walk is pleasant. Rendezvous with a
black bear: Highly Likely.
A Word about Thachi
Thach in Kullu means a grazing ground which becomes Goth in
Chamba/Dhauladhar’s.
is a cultural hub of the Inner Seraj region and there are at
least 100 temples of magnificent architecture in and around Thachi. And because
these are the remote regions of the Himachal, Seraj/Thachi is also popular for
Budhi Diwali festival, celebrated weeks after the original festival of lights.
This is fourth post in the Har Gaanv Ki kahani series, a
rural tourism program initiated by the Himachal Tourism.
This time we travel along the Dhauladhars, upstream the
Tirthan River in the Seraj Region, which separates the Kullu and Mandi
Districts. The village chosen under the Har Gaanv Ki Kahani Program for the year
2012-13 from District Mandi is Bagi Village, just close to the Kullu-Mandi
border across the Tirthan River.
In Fond Memory
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