Regional Festivals Of Uttarakhand

उत्तराखंड के लोक पर्व

Uttarakhand is not just another state of India. It is one of the most beautiful and sacred places on the earth. Uttarakhand is known as “Devbhoomi” which means Land of Gods. It is a very religious state and has thousands of big and small temples. Here people celebrate all big festivals like Diwali and Holi. Along with these festivals, Uttarakhand has some festivals on its own. You can see a bit of change in folklore behind the festival from place to place. But you will surely witness the love and excitement among the people for every festival.

Ghughutiya and Kala Kauva

When the whole country celebrates Makar Sankranti, Uttarakhand celebrates Ghughutiya. In this festival, people prepare sweets made of deep-fried flour. These sweets are prepared in different shapes like swords, stars, knives, etc. Early in the morning, people put sweets over the roof for crows. Kids sing songs for the crows as an invitation to the feast. In many places like Bageshwar, people gather and celebrate Uttrayani Kauthik (Fair). People also celebrate Makar Sankranti by eating Til ke laddoo and flying kites.

Phool Dei

Phool Dei is celebrated in both the Kumaon and Garhwal regions. People celebrate this festival to welcome Spring. It is a kind of farewell to the cold winter. This is one of the most exciting festivals for kids. You can see small kids collecting flowers in their small baskets. A yellow flower, locally known as Pyoli is widely used in this festival. Kids walk in groups to their neighborhood and put flowers on everyone’s doorsteps. These flowers show the fragrance of life. In return, people give them money, rice, and jaggery which represents wealth, food, and sweetness.

Harela

The Harela festival signifies the welcoming of the monsoon. Rain is necessary for crops and the people of Uttarakhand welcome the monsoon in their own way. A few days before the festival, people take a few different seeds and sow them in a plate or a box which is known as Harela. They keep the box in a dark place. On occasion, they cut the Harela and put it in their head. People also plant flowers on this day.

Ghee Sankranti

This festival is widely known as Olgia which is celebrated on the first day of Bhado. Uttarakhand celebrates all seasons with love. Olgia is celebrated for the well-being of crops and dairy animals. At home, people cook poori, kheer, bada, and all other festive items. As you can see from the name of the festival, people use lots of Ghee on every food item. Also, they pour Ghee on their forehead. If you don’t, you will reincarnate as a snail in your next life.

Bagwal Mela

If you want to witness a unique festival, plan a trip to Devidhura (Champawat) on Raksha Bandhan. This is a very unique fair of Uttarakhand which is held each year at the Maa Barahi Devi Temple. Bagwal Mela is a stone pelting fair where people from different regions (Khaam) throw stones at each other. People have big wooden umbrellas (Chatoli) to protect themselves. This event lasts for only a few minutes. After stone pelting, people start singing, dancing, and hugging each other.

Nanda Devi Mela

Uttarakhand celebrates a special fair known as Nanda Devi Mela. This festival is celebrated in both Kumaon and Garhwal regions. However, the folklore behind this festival is different. In the Kumaon region, this festival is the remembrance of two sisters Nanda and Sunanda who were the daughters of the Chand Royal family. Whereas in Garhwal, their folklore is different. Goddess Nanda is the daughter of King Himawat (The Himalayas) who is wed to Shiv (lord Shiva). During the festival, the goddess comes to her maiden’s home. People treat Goddess Nanda as their own daughter. On the last day of the festival, Nanda Ashtami, people bid farewell to goddess Nanda and Sunanda.

Nanda Devi Raj Jaat Yatra

This is the most unique and incredible pilgrimage in the whole world. Devotees of Kumaon and Garhwal participate in this Yatra. Nanda Devi Raj Jat Yatra occurs once every 12 years. Goddess Nanda, the daughter of King Himawat returns to her maiden home. This 3-week long Yatra starts from Nauti village (near Karnaprayag) and ends in Roopkund. Yatra starts with a Chausingha Khadu (4-horned sheep) who walks from Nauti to Homkund. People sing and dance and enjoy the visit of Nanda to her maiden home. During the farewell, people cry as they send off her daughter to the in-laws. The whole journey covers about 280 Km. The journey is itself very beautiful with lots of different flora and fauna.

Kandali

This is a mesmerizing festival of Uttarakhand. Kandali festival is celebrated once every 12 years like Nanda Devi Raat Jaat Yatra. This festival is celebrated around Sept-Oct in the Chaudans region of Pithoragarh. There are two different beliefs behind this festival. Kandali festival celebrates the defeat of Zorowar Singh. Zorowa Singh’s army attacked the Chaudans region in 1841. Another story is about a widow who ate the Kandali plant and eventually, his only son died. During this festival, women of that region destroyed all the Kandali plants so no one else ate the plant mistakenly. You can witness a beautiful culture as the people wear their traditional clothes while celebrating the Kandali festival.

Khatarwa

This festival is celebrated in the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand. Khatarwa is celebrated for the wellness of dairy animals. It is also a farewell to the monsoon and welcome to autumn/winter. In the evening, people make a big pile of wood which is known as Khatarwa. They burn the pile of wood and sing folklore. People dance and eat cucumbers. Another folklore behind this festival is that the Kumaon won a battle against the Gharwal. The name of the military commander of the Ghawal was Khararwa.

Egaas or Budh Diwali

Egaas is celebrated after 11 days of Diwali. As we all know, Diwali is celebrated on the return of Lord Ram from the 14 years of exile. Due to difficult terrain, this news reached 11 days after the return of Lord Ram. In Kumaon, this festival is known as Budh Diwali. This festival is celebrated like Diwali. In the Garhwal division, it is known as Egaas. The major attraction of Egaas is Bhelo. Bhelo is made of wood bark with a rope. People fire the Bhelo and spin it around while singing songs. Uttarakhand is home to spirituality and nature.

Along with the mentioned festival, you may witness some other occasions such as Bhitauli, Bissu tyaar, and many more. So visit Uttarakhand and celebrate these beautiful festivals with the locals.