India News | HP: Budhi Diwali Celebrations Commence in Trans-Giri Area of Sirmaur

Sirmaur, Nov 23 (PTI) The five-day-long Budhi Diwali festival, which is celebrated a month after Diwali, commenced in the Trans-Giri area of the Sirmaur district on Wednesday.

Celebrated on 'Blue moon' (Amavasya), the festival is celebrated in Anni and Nirmand areas of Kullu district, Shillai, Sangrah and Rajgarh of Sirmaur and Chopal in Shimla district, besides a few other pockets.

Also Read | Bihar Shocker: Cyber Criminals Use Gangster Dawood Ibrahim's Name To Threaten, Dupe Woman of Over Rs 3 Crore in Patna.

As per the legend, Budhi Diwali is celebrated this late because the news of Lord Rama's return to Ayodhya reached a month later in these regions.

According to locals, this year's celebration is more special for the Hatti community in the Trans-Giri region of this district as it has finally won the 55-year-old battle to obtain tribal status.

Also Read | BJP To Take Out 'Jan Aakrosh' Rallies Against Rajasthan Government in All Assembly Constituencies From December 1.

In September, the Union Cabinet, under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved a Constitution amendment bill that seeks to grant tribal status to the Hatti community living in the Trans-Giri region of Himachal Pradesh's Sirmaur district.

A bill regarding the same is likely to be introduced during the winter session of Parliament in December, the president of Central Hatti Samiti Amichand said, adding that the Hatti community in the Jaunsar region of Uttrakhand had already been given tribal status.

After the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Third Amendment) Bill 2022 becomes an Act, around 1.6 lakh members of the Hatti community Trans-Giri region will be able to derive benefits meant for STs under the existing government schemes.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)