As an annual festival, this year the Nanda Ashtami was celebrated on September 23, 2012 in valleys. The festival is celebrated in Kailashpur, Lata, and Niti villages of the Niti Mana valleys. The festival celebrates the visit of Nanda Devi to her mother’s home and ends with a ceremonial farewell from her mother’s house on Nanda Ashtami.
This year, many Rongpaz have visited their respective village to become a part of the festival of Nanda Ashtami and performed all traditional rituals. Rongpaz of Niti village staying in Dehradun, Delhi, Haridwar and other nearby places, who could not reach their village, assembled in the House of Mr. H. S. Rana in Dehradun where the Nanda Ashtami festival was celebrated. Traditionally, all Dhyanis (the married daughters of the village and their families) were invited to attend the festival.
Parvati, the daughter of Hills and the consort of Lord Shiva, is known as Nanda Devi. Nanda Devi is one of the most popular deities in the hills of Uttarakhand. Several Nanda temples are situated at all the prominent places which includes Lata, Niti and Badrinath in Niti Mana valleys.
It is believed that Nanda Devi is Yoga Maya, the baby girl who replaced Krishna in the prison and escaped from the hands of Kansa and warned him that Krishna, the son of Devaki, is already born and he will put an end to the terror of Kansa.
Chrome
