The village, about 25 kilometres from Hamirpur district headquarters, traces the belief to a woman who, according to local accounts, committed sati and cursed the village against celebrating Diwali.
As homes across India lit up for Diwali on Sunday, there were no festive preparations in Sammoo, a village in Himachal Pradesh where a belief passed down through generations keeps residents away from the celebrations.
No fireworks, decorations or special meals mark the festival here. Residents say they have avoided celebrating Diwali for more than a century, fearing fires, untimely deaths and other misfortunes if they break the tradition.
The village, about 25 kilometres from Hamirpur district headquarters, traces the belief to a woman who, according to local accounts, committed sati and cursed the village against celebrating Diwali. Sati was a practice in which a widow immolated herself on her husband’s funeral pyre. It was later outlawed.
A BELIEF PASSED DOWN THROUGH GENERATIONS
“This tradition is very old. Generations have come and gone, but no one has celebrated Diwali here,” said elderly resident Savitri Devi.
“Even today, the fear is so deeply rooted that people refrain from celebrating the festival,” she added.
Another elder said he had witnessed more than 72 Diwalis without celebrations. Residents associated attempts to observe the festival with subsequent accidents or losses, reinforcing their reluctance to try again.
“No one makes preparations for Diwali because celebrating it is taboo here,” resident Ram Singh said. “Attempts to break the tradition have often ended in mishaps, including fires and deaths.”
These accounts reflect the villagers’ beliefs; they do not establish a connection between the festival and the incidents they describe.
NO FESTIVE MEALS, NO FIREWORKS
The restrictions extend to the kitchen. Resident Sachin said families did not prepare special food on Diwali because they feared something bad would happen.
Accounts differ on whether lamps are lit in individual homes, but residents consistently describe an absence of the fireworks, decorations and festive meals seen elsewhere.
Locals said rituals performed in an attempt to “lift the curse” had not changed the practice. Many stayed indoors during the festival.
