For generations, the residents of Sammoo, a village nestled in Himachal Pradesh’s Hamirpur district, have observed Diwali not with lights and joy, but with silence and darkness. Bound by a centuries-old belief in a sati’s curse, the villagers once again will forgo any celebration of the Festival of Lights this year.
Located approximately 25 kilometers from the district headquarters, Sammoo has followed this somber tradition since a tragic event unfolded hundreds of years ago. According to media reports, a local legend says a pregnant woman, upon learning of her husband’s death in battle, threw herself onto his funeral pyre. But before embracing death, she is believed to have uttered a chilling curse that Diwali would never be celebrated in the village again.
Ever since, any attempt to break with the tradition has allegedly resulted in misfortune. “Whenever they try to celebrate the day, either someone dies or some disaster strikes the village,” said Thakur Bidhii Chand, an elderly resident of Sammoo, as per the media reports.
Even basic observances are limited. “At most, we are allowed to light diyas, but there is a tacit understanding against bursting crackers or indulging in extravagance,” explained Veena Devi, deputy to the village head. “The deliberate darkening on the day of the Festival of Lights has been followed ever since that woman cursed the day.”
Villagers recount how the woman’s husband, a soldier in the king’s army, died in service, and his body was returned on the eve of Diwali. In her anguish, the young woman committed sati, a now-outlawed practice of self-immolation, and cast a curse on the day itself.
Many believe the curse remains unbroken. “Three years ago, the villagers performed a huge yajna to lift the curse,” recalled Vijay Kumar, another resident. “But it was of no use. The power of the curse still grips us.”
Despite various efforts involving havans and religious rituals over the years, the fear of repercussions runs deep. Some villagers even avoid stepping out of their homes during Diwali, choosing instead to spend the day quietly indoors.
In a country where Diwali is celebrated with lights, fireworks, and festivity, Sammoo stands in stark contrast, a village where centuries-old sorrow still casts a shadow over the brightest night of the year.