In most parts of the Jammu region, August 28 was a day when many Dogra families celebrated Nag Panchami. Cleaning of the houses ritually with every corner dusted and decked up is something that the families did even as elders remained busy with cooking traditional dishes. The most prominent Naga worshippers live in Bhaderwah tehsil of Doda district where a three-day grand function started. It needs to be mentioned here that Vasuki Naga, the presiding deity of Bhaderwah, is considered the king of Nagas.
Aeons ago, Shiv Bhagwan included Vasuki Naga among his attendants as he was very happy with his devotion, according to folklore that is recounted here in Jammu province. These anecdotal stories say that all over the province, at many places, the sons of Shri Vasuki Naga made their homes and became the rulers. According to Rohit Shastri, the eldest son of Shri Vasuki Naga was named Kai Dev and the youngest was named Bhed Dev. Legend has it that Shri Vasuki Dev was the father of 22 sons and 84 daughters who are all considered very powerful deities.
The most magnificent temple of Shri Vasuki Naga is located at Gatha in Bhaderwah town and is deeply venerated by the inhabitants of the area. According to one folklore, Shri Vasuki Naga developed a skin infection at one time and he was told by a Vaid that if a member of his family gets him holy water from Kailash Kund, the skin disease will be cured after bathing. Based on this folklore, a pilgrimage is organised to the holy kund from Bhaderwah. Thousands of people participate in this pilgrimage which was curtailed this year due to inclement weather.
On Thursday (August 28), this serene valley’s most celebrated fair, popularly known as “Mela Patt’’ started. This three-day festival is dedicated to the presiding deity of Bhadarwah, Shri Vasuki Naga (serpent god)
In the mid-sixteenth century, the Bhadarwah Principality was ruled by Raja Nagpal of the Pal dynasty. He was an ardent devotee of Shri Vasuki Nag. So deep was his devotion that people regarded him as the spiritual son of Nagraj himself. In 1580 A.D., Raja Nagpal journeyed to Delhi to attend a gathering of the Pahari rulers convened by Emperor Akbar. There, upon witnessing a divine miracle of Nagraj Vasuki, the emperor acknowledged his greatness. As a gesture of reverence, Akbar presented gifts for Nagraj through Raja Nagpal. These offerings included royal drums (Naubat-Nagade), diamond-studded gold ornaments, golden urns (Kalash), silver vessels for ritual worship, and silk clothes (Patt) embroidered with gold.
For the past several centuries, a festival known as “Baggaan Keru Kodd’’ used to be celebrated on “Nag Panchmi’’ in the ‘Dramman’ (courtyard) of the Darbar Sathan Vasakdehra temple. On that day, various sacred attires (Baggaan/Baggey) worn by the deities throughout the year were displayed before the public. On receiving recognition and gifts for his patron deity, Raja Nagpal sent messengers to Bhaderwah instructing his courtiers to defer this festival till his arrival. Thus, the festival which was celebrated on Nag Panchmi was held a month later on ‘Rishi Panchmi’, after the king returned to Bhaderwah .
On this day, the gifts of the emperor were displayed to the public in the Khakhal ground instead of ‘Dramman’. Khakhal, at that time, formed the courtyard of the royal complex housing the king’s palace and the residences of nobles, ministers, priests (Rajguru and Rajpurohit), and scholars. For the ceremonial display of the priceless gift items, pieces of silk cloth were bundled into the shape of a temple pillar and crowned with golden urns. A devotee carried this structure on his head, twirling it to the rhythmic beat of the noubat-nagada (royal drums).
This silk-cloth structure came to be known as ‘Patt’, from the Sanskrit word for silk, and the celebration was thereafter called ‘Patte Ru Kodd’ or ‘Mela Patt’. Since 1580 A.D., the tradition of celebrating this festival on Rishi Panchmi in the Khakhal ground continues unbroken to this day and celebrated with the same fervour, devotion, and joy.
The responsibility of fabricating the “Patt’’ and managing the rituals of this festival has been entrusted to 10 prominent families of Bhaderwah, collectively known as the ‘Dashnaan’. Members of these families observe strict austerity and chastity, known as ‘kaar’, until the conclusion of the festival. The work of assembling the “Patt’’ begins on the night of ‘Kalank Chaturthi’ in the ‘dalaan’ of Rajgurus. Pieces of cloth are carefully sorted according to length, colour, design, and weight, and tied together with intricate knots to create the form of a temple over a wooden frame called the ‘ghorhi.’
The upper knots are artistically concealed with a piece of gold-embroidered fabric (zari cloth). The golden urns are affixed in it, with the biggest at the top and four smaller ones adorning the sides. Sculpted in the likeness of a temple ‘vimana’, the Patt is completed in the early hours of Rishi Panchami.
The chief Rajpurohit then consecrates the ‘Patt’, bestowing ‘jivadaan (infusion of life) upon the structure, after which the ‘chelas’ perform worship, after bringing the Dallab (a string of bells) from the Bharokra temple and wearing it. Throughout this night-long ritual, the ‘bijentries’ play devotional tunes such as Nagdhwani and Lastan to invoke the blessings of Nag devta, according to Dharam Kant Dogra, a retired bank employee. He is an ace photographer and a writer too who has authored some books on Bhaderwah.
At dawn, a chosen “chela’’ lifts the “Patt’’ upon his head from the inside and leads a grand procession to the Durga Mata temple at Khakhal, Shri Vasuki Nag temple, and the Ganesh Math temple. At each of these shrines, the Patt is ceremonially swirled in reverence and then brought back to the Rajguru’s ‘dalaan’, where it is placed for public darshan and worship. Throughout the day, throngs of devotees gather to pay homage, continuing a centuries-old tradition of devotion and celebration.
At the Khakhal ground, the “Patt’’ is ceremoniously swirled in a circular motion, causing its multi-coloured cloths to unfurl like divine wings, revealing every intricate layer of its artistry. The sight is awe-inspiring, an ethereal spectacle that words can scarcely capture. Throughout this ritual, the Dashnaans stand in a protective circle around the Patt, assisting whenever the chela carrying it pauses for rest. All the while, the ground reverberates with ‘jaikaras’ in praise of Maharaj Vasuki Nag and Manimahesh Mahadev. After swirling the “Patt’’ for about half an hour, it is brought back to the Rajgurus’ dalaan for an overnight stay, while devotees continue their celebration with the traditional ‘dhekku dance’ in the Khakhal ground.
This sacred ritual of swirling the Patt (Patt-nachnu) is repeated with the same devotion and grandeur for three days i.e on Panchami, Shashti, and Saptami. During this period, Khakhal transforms into a vibrant fairground, with stalls offering sweets, snacks, fruits, toys, and local delicacies. Among the favourites are khatte alu (tamarind-flavoured potatoes), gur-patisa (crisp jaggery sweets), and kaale chole (fried black grams). A langar is also set up during these three days.
On the night of ‘Saptami’ or the morning of ‘Ashtami’, at an auspicious time, the Dashnaans bring the ritual to a close. With solemn prayers, they carefully untie the knots, remove the stitches, and disassemble the Patt. The cloth pieces are neatly folded and preserved in safe custody, marking the end of their period of Kaar and the conclusion of Mela Patt.
The antique items originally presented by Emperor Akbar are now housed with the Dharamarth Trust in Jammu. A few items, however, remain in Bhaderwah under the joint custody of the local manager of the Trust and the Kala Mahajan family. These relics are brought out only on special occasions and festivals, to adorn the deities and for ceremonial worship. The Panchmukhi Kalash and Zari cloth has been recently replaced by new ones, but the original ones with immense historic and antique value have been preserved at Bhaderwah only.
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