View source for Devidhura: Barahi Devi temple

{| class="wikitable"
|-
|colspan="0"|<div style="font-size:100%">
This is a collection of articles archived for the excellence of their content.<br/>
Additional information may please be sent as messages to the Facebook <br/>community, [http://www.facebook.com/Indpaedia Indpaedia.com]. All information used will be gratefully <br/>acknowledged in your name. 
</div>
|}

[[Category:India |D ]]
[[Category:Religion |B ]]
[[Category:Places |D ]]
[[Category:Festivals |B ]]

=Bagwal (stone-pelting) festival=
[https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL%2F2018%2F08%2F28&entity=Ar01112&sk=769451C7&mode=text  Prem Punetha, Apples, pears new ‘rocks’ in stone-pelting festival, August 28, 2018: ''The Times of India'']

[[File: Since 2013, after an intervention by the high court, the stones have been replaced with fruit to reduce casualties and injuries. Despite this, 112 people were injured during the festival in 2018.jpg|Since 2013, after an intervention by the high court, the stones have been replaced with fruit to reduce casualties and injuries. Despite this, 112 people were injured during the festival in 2018 <br/> From: [https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=TOIDEL%2F2018%2F08%2F28&entity=Ar01112&sk=769451C7&mode=text  Prem Punetha, Apples, pears new ‘rocks’ in stone-pelting festival, August 28, 2018: ''The Times of India'']|frame|500px]]

The men of the four clans of Uttarakhand’s Devidhura village donned plain turbans of yellow, pink, orange and white and headed towards the Barahi Devi temple. They made a beeline for the mounds of apples and pears there — and began to lob them at one another, while taking shelter under huge bamboo shields to protect themselves from falling fruits.

They were participating in the annual bagwal, or stone-pelting, festival, held on Raksha Bandan at the village in Champawat district. Since 2013, after an intervention by the high court, the stones have been replaced with fruit to reduce casualties and injuries. When the men felt their flinging had been fruitful in serving the purpose of propitiating the goddess, the festival ended, leaving the courtyard littered with apples and pears.

“This year, bagwal was played for around eight minutes in the afternoon. We had ordered six quintals of fruit for the occasion,” said Lakshman Singh Lamgharia, patron of the Barahi Devi temple committee.

This year, 112 people were injured during the festival, said R K Gautam, mela officer, probably because “hard fruits like pears” were used. Some people said that despite the ban, clan members still throw stones, which could have led to the injuries.

The festival’s origins go back to a mythological story: Demons were troubling the four clans of Devidhura — Walik, Chamyal, Gaharwal and Lamgharia — and the residents prayed to their patron goddess Barahi Devi for help. The goddess agreed but demanded that a human sacrifice be made to her every year.

One year, the mother of a man who was about to be sacrificed prayed to the goddess for mercy. The goddess agreed on the condition that once a year, people from the four clans would hurl stones at one another till the blood spilt was equal to one human sacrifice, Lamgharia said.

Every year, on Raksha Bandhan, members of the clans assemble at the temple premises. The Gaharwals wear orange turbans, the Chamyals pink, Lamgharias yellow and Waliks white.

The Gaharwals and Chamyals line up against the Waliks and Lamgharias. The two sides throw stones at each other, while trying to shield themselves from falling rocks with massive bamboo shields. Once the temple priest is satisfied that enough blood has been shed, the bagwal ends. It usually rains on the occasion of bagwal, which people consider auspicious. “On Sunday, too, it rained, which is considered the blessing of the goddess,” Lamgharia said.