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Nanda Devi Raj Jat
Royal
Pilgrimage
Genesis of the tradition
The event marks the coming of Nanda Devi to her mother's place (mait). During this time Uttarakhand reverberates with festivities. The event finishes when the people of her maiti (mother's home), escort her in a procession to her Sauras (husbands home in Kailash). This procession is called the Nanda Jat. The entire s-cene is beautifully protrayed in the folk songs and Jagars sung by the women of Uttarakhand. Such Nanda Jats arc held in almost all the places in the hills, where there is a Nanda Devi Temple. Every Garhadhipatis in the hills took out Nanda Jats to please the Isht- Devi. Every twelve years the Nanda Raj Jat replaces the annual Raj Jat on the route of Hornkund, from the temple of Nanda Devi. The dolis of other devtas also known as the 'Birs of Nanda Devi', also join the Raj Jat. The Goril Dev of Kumaon and the Lattu Dev of Bandhan are the prominent devtas.
The Nanda Raj Jat was started by the ancestors of the Rajas of Garhwal. The ancient tradition of taking out Nanda Jats among
all the Garhadhipatis, was combined by the Raja into a Royal pilgrimage every twelve years. Raja Ajay Par(Shesh Pal) of
Chandgarh started the Nanda Raj Jat in the 15th century. Since then, the royal family takes the pilgrimage along with their
purohits to seek forgiveness from Nanda Devi, and offer 'Tarpan' for the ancestors who had died at the Roopkund, along with his pregnant wife and courtesans.
However, Carbon 14 dating of the skeletons, done by Crane and Griffin in 1958 proved that the bones found were between
500 to 800 years old.
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