Someone told me about a village fair called Bishu that happens in Rohtan village of Jubbal. What I didn’t know was that it happens in a lot more villages around Rohru and Jubbal around these same dates. I’ll be more careful next year.
I have a lot of relatives from this village so finding dates wasn’t difficult. The only issue was the shortage of time. I couldn’t see the entire ceremony and the few hours I had, were spent talking to people to understand Bishu prayer and visiting my relatives. I’ll visit again next year to document the whole thing. Bishu generally involved a prayer followed by a dance called Nati.
If you have any more information, do write it down in the comments below.
Women take blessings from the Jaga Mata of Rohtan
Jubbal musicians playing in front of Jaga Mata temple in Rohtan village of Jubbal, Shimla
The oracle walks towards the temple to initiate a prayer.
The old temple of the deity.
People watching the cermony during the Bishu festival in Rohtan village of Jubbal.
Nandpur and Chhajpur valleys of Jubbal from Rohtan village
Oracle walks towards the temple of Devta Shedkuliya in Rohtan for a prayer.