No Fireworks, No Festivities: Himachal’s Sammu Village Skips Diwali Again Under a Centuries-Old ‘Sati’s Curse’

In Himachal Pradesh’s Hamirpur district, the residents of Sammu village will once again forgo Diwali celebrations this year — a practice rooted in a centuries-old curse said to have been placed by a sati (a woman who self-immolated on her husband’s funeral pyre).

Villagers are allowed to light lamps, but bursting firecrackers or spending lavishly on festivities is strictly avoided. Locals believe that breaking this tradition invites misfortune or disaster.

According to village elders, the custom dates back several hundred years. Legend has it that during Diwali preparations, a pregnant woman received news of her husband’s death — a soldier in the local ruler’s army. Grief-stricken, she threw herself onto his funeral pyre, cursing the village that no one there would ever celebrate Diwali again.

Veena Devi, an aide to the village head, said on Saturday, “Since that day, the tradition of keeping the village in darkness on Diwali has continued. We can light lamps, but festivities or fireworks are forbidden.”

Thakur Bidhi Chand, an elderly resident, recalled that whenever villagers tried to celebrate Diwali, tragedy would follow — a death, an accident, or some form of calamity. “We’ve performed havans and rituals to lift the curse, but nothing has worked,” he said.

Another resident, Vijay Kumar, noted that even a large yagna held three years ago failed to change things. “The curse still looms over us,” he said.

To this day, many villagers stay indoors on Diwali night, convinced that defying the centuries-old vow could bring misfortune upon their families.