Himachal village stays away from celebrating Diwali due to centuries-old ‘curse’

No Diwali celebrations are held in Sammoo village in Himachal Pradesh’s Hamirpur district, a custom they have been following since time immemorial, PTI reported on Thursday
The villages distance themselves from Diwali celebration out of fear of the curse of a distraught woman who committed Sati on this festival generations ago.
Houses are not lit, and no sounds of crackers can be heard in the village during Diwali festivities.
The elders have cautioned the younger lot that any celebration would not bode well and invite misfortune, disaster and death to the villagers, according to PTI.
The legend goes that, many years ago, the woman who had left for her parent’s home to celebrate Diwali received news that her husband, a soldier in the king’s court, had died.
The woman, who was pregnant, could not bear the shock and burnt herself on her husband’s pyre. It is believed that she cursed the villagers that they would never be able to celebrate Diwali.
Residents say that since then, Diwali has never been celebrated in this village.
Bhoranj panchayat pradhan Pooja Devi told PTI that ever since she got married and came to this village, she has never seen Diwali being celebrated.
“Even if the villagers settle outside, the curse of the women won’t leave them. Some years ago, a family from the village settled far away were preparing some local dishes for Diwali when their house caught fire. The people of the village only worship Sati and light diyas in front of her,” Devi told PTI.
Another village elder, who has witnessed over 70 Diwali without any celebrations, says whenever someone tries to observe Diwali, some misfortune or loss happens.
“For hundreds of years, people have refrained from celebrating Diwali. On the day of Diwali, if a family even by mistake bursts crackers and makes dishes at home, then disaster is sure to happen,” another villager, Veena, was quoted as saying by the agency.
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She adds that the community’s collective memory of the past have kept them bound to the customs, even as younger generations express a desire to break free from this belief, Veena adds.