Maa Barahi Devi Temple Devidhura, Champawat is famous for its Barahi temples. A very unusual fair, which attracts people from Kumaon, Nepal, and even other places, is held every year at the temple of Barahi Devi on Raksha Bandhan day.
Maa Barahi Devi Temple Devidhura, Champawat is famous for its Barahi temples. A very unusual fair, which attracts people from Kumaon, Nepal, and even other places, is held every year at the temple of Barahi Devi on Raksha Bandhan day.
During this festival, known as Bagwal, two groups of dancing and singing people throw stones at each other, while they try to protect themselves with the help of large wooden shields. The participants don’t care about the injuries and the injuries are believed to be auspicious. It is also a worth noticing fact that there had been no loss of life till today during this unusual fair.
The famous hunter, Jim Corbett’s tale ‘Temple Tiger’ is associated with the Devidhura temples. Devidhura is situated amidst tall deodar and oak trees surrounded by beautiful native flora and fauna. This is a wonderful place for trekking and being one with the mountains.
The temple offers a peaceful experience. It is believed that the Pandavas used the giant stones present at the temple’s premises as balls. No one is allowed to look at the Goddess’s statue with bare eyes. Doing so is believed to make the person blind. Hence, the Goddess is covered with a red cloth. The cloth is removed and the Goddess is adorned by putting a black band in one’s eye during annual festivals.
Chaitri and Ashwin Navaratri witnesses huge crowds in the temple. Devidhura temple is famous for the Bagwal mela organized every year during Rakshbandhan in the month of Sravan. The fair is distinctive and unusual. In this fair, Bagwal is played between four groups of people. In case you’re wondering what is Bagwal, it means ‘fight with stones.’ And this accounts to the unusual nature of the festival.
Champawat springs with joy and colors during Rakshabandan with celebrations. People from Kumaon, other parts of Uttarakhand and India, Nepal, and abroad come in large numbers to witness the fair.
According to folklore, every year a man chosen from the people of Kham would be sacrificed to Goddess Barahi to please her. The Kham consisted of four clans- Garhwal, Chamyal, Langaria and Balig.
On a particular year, the turn for sacrificing came to an old woman who had a single grandson. She accepted her grandson’s fate with a heavy heart. Pleased with her devotion, Goddess Barahi granted life to her grandson with the condition that the same amount of blood as that of an average man must be offered. Thus, the tradition of Bagwal was born where the four clans pelted stones at one another and offered their blood to the goddess. Despite it sounding dangerous, it is noteworthy that till date there hasn’t been a single death caused by this event.
The priest and the head of the Kham worship Goddess Barahi and distribute prasads. Four people from each clan are prepared for the fight. The villagers support their representatives with songs and drums. Two groups are formed which throw small pebbles at each other. Each group protects themselves with a wooden shied commonly known as ferra. They don’t stop until the priest instructs them too. The ceremony lasts for 20 minutes.
In recent years the stone pelting has been replaced with throwing fruits and flowers.
Maa Barahi Devi Temple, Devidhura is located in Devidhura ( at a distance of 45 Km from Lohaghat in the district champawat.).
Devidhura Temple is located at a distance of 45 kms from Lohaghat in the Champawat District of Uttarakhand. You can easily reach at the mines by traveling through a private vehicle or book a cab or a taxi service.
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Maa Barahi Devi Temple, Devidhura is popular place for following activities/ interests - Devi Temples, Fairs and Festivals, Religious, Temples.
