Raksha Bandhan is usually associated with rakhis, sweets and family celebrations. But in Devidhura village in Uttarakhand’s Champawat district, the festival has traditionally been marked by a dramatically different ritual. Known as Bagwal, the centuries-old tradition reportedly involves two groups facing each other in a symbolic battle — with stones once forming a central part of the ritual. (Credit: News18 Hindi/Tanuj Pandey)
According to local legend, the tradition began after Goddess Barahi Devi intervened to protect villagers from demons. The four local clans — Walik, Chamyal, Gaharwal and Lamgharia, known as khams — had reportedly sought the goddess’s protection. The legend says she demanded a human sacrifice, but after a woman’s plea to spare her son, a different arrangement was reached. (Credit: News18 Hindi/Tanuj Pandey)