Manali residents celebrate Hidimba's birthday

MANALI: Thousands of residents of Manali are celebrating the birthday of Goddess Hidimba, the presiding deity of the valley, in three-day-long grand bash. Huge crowd thronged Dhungari, where ancient temple of Hidimba is situated, and left the entire region jammed.
Thousands of tourists also witnessed the unique birthday celebrations that have centuries-old history.Colourful palanquins of a dozen deities from surrounding areas were brought here by their followers to celebrate the occasion.
Kullu folk dance remained the centre of attraction for all. Dance by palanquins of deities attracted the attention of tourists and everybody joined the moment. A large number of foreign tourists also reached here to capture this traditional fare in their cameras.
A tourist from Udaipur, Jeevan Parikh, said he had come to temple only to pay obeisance but got to know about the celebrations. "It made our holiday trip a success. We had never seen Himachali deities in such a large number. We saw folk dance of Himachal. We had never imagined that deities can also dance," he said.
Priest of the Hidimba temple, Rakesh Sharma, said every year birthday of Goddess Hidimba is celebrated from May 15 to 17. "Special arrangements are made for the convenience of people, especially tourists. Police security is stepped up and traditional Kullu dance is organized to express the happiness."