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FESTIVALS OF UTTARAKHAND :: |
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The festivals
of Uttarakhand are very colorful and distinctive and are the
blend of various social and cultural factors. The love for
color and joyous celebrations of the people of Uttarakhand is
well reflected by the elaborate rituals and the gay abandon
with which they surrender themselves to the numerous festivals
of the region. The people of Uttarakhand with much enthusiasm
and ebullience celebrate all the major festivals of the
nation. The colorful festivals celebrated in the state
therefore curb the culture of Uttarakhand out. The festivals
of Uttarakhand have contributed to the enrichment of the
state. |
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Basant Panchami
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This is one of the most
important religious festivals of Uttarakhand and celebrates
the coming of the spring season. The festive season marks the
end of the winters which symbolizes death and decay. It
usually falls in the Hindu month of Magh or English months of
January/February. During this auspicious occasion the people
worship Goddess Saraswati with much veneration. The locals
adorn themselves in yellow outfits and some even put yellow `tikas`
on their foreheads. This grand festival in some places marks
the beginning of Holi baithaks.
Mussoorie, the queen of the hills, is one of
the most popular and fascinating hill resort of northern
India. Its green hills and varied fauna and flora make it a
colourful and picturesque hill station, commanding a wonderful
view of extensive Himalayan snow ranges to the North-East, and
Panoramic view of the Doon valley to the south.
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Bhitauli |
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This festival of
Uttarakhand is feted in the month of Chaitra
according to the Hindu calendar. it falls on the
very first day of Shravan and is celebrated with
much pomp and show all over the state. It is a
grand festival of sharing gifts from the brothers
to their sisters. The religious rites and rituals
during this festival are celebrated with much
veneration. |
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Nandadevi |
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This is
one of the most popular festivals of Uttarakhand. People
from all the remotest corners of the state as well as
the country comes to participate in this festival in
which the main deity of worship is Goddess Nanda Devi.
Worship, traditional dances and the ritual of collecting
Brahkamals form a main feature of this grand festival.
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Olgia/Ghee Sankranti |
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This festival is
celebrated on the first day of the Bhado month
according to the Hindu calendar. It is during this
time that the harvest is lush and green and
vegetables grow in abundance. It is regarded as a
very important festival of the agriculturalists
and they celebrate this festival with much pomp
and show. Various agricultural tools are exchanged
on this day. People put ghee on their foreheads
and also consume chapattis made of ghee and
stuffed with `urad` dal. It is also believed by
the people of Tripura that walnuts become sweeter
after this festival. Though this festival marks
the produce of the land, it is now seldom
celebrated. |
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Makar Sankranti |
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The song
"kale kale, bhol bate aile" marks the festival of Makar
Sankranti in Uttarakhand. This special day marks the
change of season and is considered to be very
auspicious. The locals of Uttarakhand take ceremonial
dips in sacred rivers, participate in the Uttarayani
fairs and also celebrate the festival of Ghughutia or
Kale Kauva. Numerous religious rites and rituals are
observed and the festival ends with a hope that the
birds would come back in the subsequent year |
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Ganga Dussehra/Dasara |
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This festival is
celebrated on the Shukla Dasami of the Jyestha
month according to the Hindu calendar or the
months of May/June according to the English
calendar. On this special day the sacred River
Ganga is worshipped and Dussehra posters adorn the
doors of houses and temples. The hands of the
much-honored Brahmins once wrote these posters but
now with the progress of time they are available
in an assortment of printed designs. On this
auspicious day the people of Uttarakhand also
bathe in the holy rivers. |
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Phool Dei |
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This is
one of the most special festivals of Uttarakhand and is
celebrated on the first day of the month of Chaitra in
mid March. This special day belongs to the young girls
as they are seen conducting most of the ceremonies. The
festive celebrations in some regions are observed for
the whole month with the advent of the spring. The young
girls during this festival goes to the all the houses in
the locality with plates consisting of rice, coconut,
jaggery, flowers and green leaves and offer their good
wishes for the prosperity of the household. They are
also given blessings and presents and return. A pudding
made of curd, flour and jaggery is a special delicacy of
this festival. Spring songs sung during this festival
enhance the festive spirit. |
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Hilljatra
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This is one of
the most popular festivals of Uttarakhand and is
celebrated with much fervor in some parts of the
Pithoragarh district. It can be regarded as a
festival of pastoralists and agriculturalists.
This festival came from the Sorar region of West
Nepal to the Sor valley and was first introduced
in the Kumaour village. It is regarded by the
locals of Uttarakhand as a living tradition and
care should be taken to preserve its style in a
rapidly changing society. Animal sacrifices also
form an important aspect of this much-awaited
festival. Recitation of religious hymns and
performance of circle dance also known as `Chanchari`
are added attractions. |
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Bat
Savitri
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splendid festival is celebrated with much ebullience on
the last day of the dark half of the month of Jyestha
according to the Hindu calendar. On this special day the
married females worship Savitri and Bat or Banyan tree to
seek blessings for the welfare and the prosperity of their
beloved husbands. The married women also observe a fast
for the whole day in remembrance of Savitri and Satyavan
and also remember how Savitri with her extreme dedication
saved her husband from the scrabble of death.
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Janopunya
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This is one of
the most important religious festivals of
Uttarakhand and the people of Kumaon celebrate the
Raksha Bandhan and the Janopunya on the same day.
On this special day the people of the state
exchange their local threads. The famous Bagwal
fair is organized in the region of Devidhura in
the district of Champavat. People from all the
remotest corners of the state participate in this
festival and fair with much fun and excitement.
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Khatarua
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This is essentially one
of the most special festivals of Tripura and is observed
by the pastoral agricultural society with much fun and
vigor in the month of Ashwin which falls in
mid-September. This grand occasion calls for
unrestrained merriment and on this special day people
light bonfires around which children dance displaying
multi-hued flags. The peasants take special care of
their animals by feeding them with grass. To ward off
the evil influences cucumbers are offered to the fire of
Khatarua. The victory of the monarch of Kumaon is
believed to be one of the major reasons for hosting the
festive celebrations. |
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Chhipla Jaat
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This is one of
the main festivals of Chhiplakot situated in the
heartland of Kali and Gori rivers. This
much-awaited festival expresses different aspects
of human faith. The religious rites and rituals
include barefoot journey, bath, worship,
traditional songs and dances, collective food and
the possession of the body of Bonia by the folk
God are the essential parts of this festival.
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| Kumaon Holi
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This is one of the most
unique festivals of Uttarakhand and its uniqueness lies
in the fact of it being a musical affair. The festive
celebrations begin in the premises of the temples where
the professional singers gather to sing traditional
lyrics to the accompaniment of the classical music. This
festival is known by two different names, Baithki Holi
and the Khari Holi. The former one is celebrated with
much vigor in the temple premises while the later one is
celebrated in the rural areas of Kumaon. |
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Kandali
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This is one of
the most unique festivals of Uttarakhand and the
people of the state celebrate this festival when
the Kandali flower blooms once in every twelve
years, in the months of August and October. The
festive celebration spreads over a week and the
Shaukas or the Rangs participate in it with much
vigor and enthusiasm. This auspicious ceremony
commences with the worship of the linga of Lord
Shiva made of barley and buckwheat flour mixture.
The courtyard of every house is beautifully
adorned and the locals perform the puja with much
veneration for prosperity and well-being. A
procession is also taken out where the woman who
leads it is armed with a ril. The cultural
performance of the people echoes in the valley
thus enhancing the atmosphere of joy. |
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Festivals of Uttarakhand
Reservation
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