Abstract:

Bhunda Mahayagya (Bhūndhā Mahayajñā), described in some historical accounts as Narmedha Yajna, is a distinctive ritual tradition of the western Himalayan cultural landscape of Himachal Pradesh. Beyond its widely recognized rope-sliding ceremony performed by the Beda/Jedi, Bhunda encompasses sacred beliefs, village-deity (devta) traditions, collective organization, customary social relations, and cultural memory. This study examines the tradition with particular reference to the Satluj Valley and adjoining Bushahr cultural region, including the traditional Char Thehri (Lalsa, Dansa, Shingla and Shneri) and Panch Sthaan (Nirmand, Nagar/Duttnagar, Nirth, Kao/Kamaksha and Mamel/Mamleshwar). The study examines the religious and traditional significance of the legend of Lord Parshurama in the cultural interpretation of Bhunda, its traditional periodicity, the specialized role of the Beda/Jedi, the material and symbolic nature of the sacred rope, and the structured participation of different sections of rural society. It explores the relationship of the Bhunda tradition with gender, age, customary social categories, agriculture, local trade, hospitality, and inter-village cooperation. Based on historical, ethnographic, cultural, and documentary sources, the paper argues that Bhunda yagya functions as a living rural cultural institution through which religious beliefs, social obligations, collective resources, ritual knowledge and regional identity are transmitted across generations.

Keywords:

Bhunda Mahayagya, Parshuram, Sacred Religious Tradition, Satluj Valley, Char Thehri, Panch Sthaan, Sacred Rope, Beda, Jedi, Rural Community, Himachal Pradesh, Himalayan Tradition.

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