Carried in palanquins, local deities first reach Sultanpur in Kullu on the first day of Dussehra to pay their obeisance to Lord Raghunath, the presiding deity.
A Gur or ‘medium’ of a deity walking up to the temple of Lord Raghunath in Sultanpur. The mediums are possessed by the spirit of the deities to communicate with devotees.
Led by demon goddess Hadimba, the deities, with divine music of Dhol (drums) and Karnahal (trumpets) in the air, visit the palace of erstwhile royals of Kullu.
After Sultanpur, all the deities start gathering at the Dhalpur grounds for the Rath Yatra.
A young boy playing dhol, the traditional musical instrument of deities along with Nagara, Baam, Dhanotu, Karnahal etc.
A devotee clicks selfie with a deity just before the start of the Rath Yatra.
As part of the Kullu Dussehra rituals, this wooden chariot is pulled by devotees from one end of the ground to the other.
And this is how the spectacular Rath Yatra looks like. It marks the beginning of the weeklong Kullu Dussehra festival.
Hundreds of shops from Himachal and the country are set up during Dussehra that sell indigenous products.
A balloon seller in Kullu Dussehra.
You too should visit Dussehra at least once in your lifetime. Read our complete travel guide to the Kullu Dussehra.