Valley of Gods is a non profit organization headed by Rai Navneet Shankar Sood – An Advocate by profession, a Shiv Yogi, Social worker, Philanthropist, Hotelier, Travel enthusiast and religious person is a visionary young man who was keen to preserve the cultural and natural habitat of the region. He is philanthropist working tiresomely in the field of culture and well being its people. The vision of this NGO is to preserve the cultural and historical heritage of the Kullu region.
Devtas of Kullu are mainly divided into 7 segments – Anni, Banjar, Bhuntar, Kullu, Manali, Sainj, Nirmand
Our Organization is striving hard to collect information, history and other details and provide to each individual who are interested to study the rich cultural heritage of this beautiful region.
In the Kullu region, often dubbed the “Valley of the Gods”, the village deity reigns supreme. No one knows how many devtas and devis inhabit in this hilly region , but nearly every hamlet has one. The part each one plays in village life depends on his or her particular powers; some heal, others protect the “parish” borders from evil spirits, summon the rains, or ensure the success of the harvest.
Nearly all, however, communicate with their devotees by means of oracles. When called upon to perform, the village shaman, or gaur – drawn from the lower castes – strips to the waist and enters a trance in which the devta uses his voice to speak to the congregation. The deity, carried out of the temple on a ceremonial palanquin, or rath, rocks back and forth on the shoulders of its bearers as the gaur speaks. His words are always heeded, and his decisions final; the devta-oracle decides the propitious dates for marriages, and for sowing crops, and arbitrates disputes.