Dhungri Fair

Dhungri Fair

MayThis is a festival celebrated by Hindu women from the hills near Manali, at the north end of the Kullu Valley in the Himachal Pradesh State of India. A small wooden temple known as the Hidimba (or Dhungri) Temple stands among a woods of cedar trees near Manali. The women gather here to honor the goddess Hidimba, who fell in love with Bhima and became his wife in the famous Hindu epic Mahabharata, with a traditional dance.
The temple is known for its intricately chiseled door. Hindu legend has it that the craftsman who carved it had his right hand chopped off by order of the king who hired him. The king wanted his temple to stand alone as a great and unique work. However, when the same carver went on to construct a yet more elaborate temple at Chamba, this time using his left hand, the unfortunate worker got his head chopped off.
CONTACTS:
India Tourist Office
1270 Ave. of the Americas, Ste. 1808, 18th Fl.
New York, NY 10020
800-953-9399 or 212-586-4901; fax: 212-582-3274
www.indiatouristoffice.org
SOURCES:
WildPlanet-1995, p. 246