Saharanpur: ‘Holika Dahan’ is not performed in Barsi village of Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh. The people of the village believe that if Holika Dahan is done here, Lord Shiva’s feet will get burnt. Therefore ‘Holika Dahan’ is not performed here. Local women go to nearby villages to perform ‘Holika Dahan’ on the eve of Holi. There is an ancient temple of Lord Shiva in Barsi village, which is said to be as old as the Mahabharata. According to belief, the temple was built by the Kauravas and Pandavas. But due to some disagreement, Bhima, one of the five Pandavas, used his ‘mace’ and changed the direction of the entrance of the temple from east to west. Because of this, people believe that Lord Shankar’s Shivalinga is established in the village, which is a self-proclaimed Shivalinga. It is believed that Lord Shankar comes here. Lord Shiva’s feet will be burnt by Holika Dahan. This is the reason why Holika Dahan is not done in Barsi village. Village head Adesh Chaudhary said that all the women go to nearby village Tikrol for Holika Dahan. I don’t know when this ritual started, but it has always been like this. It is a tradition and directly linked to religious sentiments. Nobody tried to change it. I don’t think anyone will change it.
‘Holika Dahan’ does not happen in this village, know the reason
