As they have done for generations, Sammoo village in the Hamirpur region of Himachal Pradesh does not celebrate Diwali, according to a PTI report on Thursday.
Fearing the curse of a heartbroken lady who committed Sati on this holiday years ago, the communities avoid celebrating Diwali.
During Diwali celebrations, there are no cracker noises in the village and no houses are lit.
According to PTI, the elders have warned the younger generation that any celebration would not be auspicious and would bring misfortune, tragedy, and death to the villages.
According to folklore, the woman who had traveled to her parents’ house to celebrate Diwali many years ago learned of the death of her husband, a soldier in the king’s court.
The pregnant woman burned herself on her husband’s pyre because she was unable to handle the shock. She is said to have cursed the locals, preventing them from ever celebrating Diwali. Diwali has never been celebrated in this community since, according to the locals.
Bhoranj panchayat pradhan Pooja Devi told PTI that she had never witnessed Diwali being celebrated since she got married and moved to this village.
“The women’s curse will follow the villages even if they relocate outside. A few years back, a family from a distant village was cooking some regional specialties for Diwali when their home caught fire. Devi told PTI that the village’s residents solely worship Sati and burn diyas in her honor.
Every time someone tries to observe Diwali, some disaster or loss occurs, according to another village elder who has seen more than 70 Diwalis without any festivities.
“People have not celebrated Diwali for hundreds of years. Disaster is certain to occur during Diwali if a family accidentally explodes crackers and prepares meals at home, according to Veena, another villager who was cited by the agency.
Veena continues, “Even though younger generations have expressed a desire to break free from this belief, the community’s collective memory of the past has kept them bound to the customs.”
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