Mathura village organises 'terahvin' for late actor Dharmendra

Dharmendra received a special tribute from the fans

Late Bollywood star Dharmendra, fondly remembered as the 'He-Man' of Hindi cinema, was given an unusual tribute in a Mathura village where locals organised a ceremonial 'terahvin' on Saturday, drawing a crowd of nearly 10,000 people.

The event was held in Selkhera village of Baldev area, where fans performed a traditional 'havan', 'shantipath' and later organised a 'brahmabhoj' to honour the beloved actor. A screening of his iconic film 'Sholay' was also arranged as part of the tribute.

Gopal Singh Pehalwan and Lakhan Singh, two of the organisers and lifelong admirers of the actor, said the entire village considered the actor "a member of their own family". "We were all deeply saddened by his death. To express our respect and affection, we decided to observe the 'terahvin' rituals," they said.

They added that invitations were extended not just to Selkhera residents but also to people from around a dozen nearby villages, pushing the turnout beyond 10,000. "The havan, prayers and feast were conducted with complete traditional rituals," the organisers said.

Dharmendra passed away on November 24 after a prolonged illness. His wife, actor-turned-politician Hema Malini, is the sitting MP from Mathura, elected for the third time in 2024. Dharmendra had also visited Mathura during her earlier election campaigns.

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Born as Dharam Singh Deol in Punjab in 1935, Dharmendra featured in more than 300 films in a career spanning six decades.

The screen icon was widely celebrated for his versatility across action, romance and comedy, and some of his classics include Sholay, Chupke Chupke, Satyakam, Anupama, Seeta Aur Geeta, and many others.