Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Festivals in Uttarakhand

Bat Savitri
The Bat Savitri Festival is celebrated with feelings of great warmth and intensity by women. On the occasion of Bat Savitri, women observe fast from the morning. They offer their prayers to Savitri, the legendary heroine and Bat or Banyan tree.

Ganga Dusshera/Dasar
During this festival ten days of the month are devoted to the worship of Holy River Ganga venerated by the Hindus as a mother as well as a goddess. Places such as Rishikesh, Haridwar, Garh - Mukteswar, Prayag, Varanasi etc where Ganga flows hold special significance on this day.

Janopunya
The people of Kumaon celebrate Raksha Bandhan and J anopunyu, the day on which people change their janeu (sacred thread). On this day the famous Bagwal fair is held at Devidhura in district Pithoragarh.

Nanda Devi Rajjaat
The three week long Nandadevi Rajjaat is one of the world famous festival of Uttarakhand. People from entire Garhwal-Kumaon as well as other parts of India and the world participate in Nandadevi Raj Jat Yatra.


Chippla Jaat
Chippla Jaat in Uttarakhand is one of the fairs and festivals in Uttarakhand which is celebrated with much enthusiasm and gusto. It is one of the fairs that people eagerly wait for the entire year.

Hilljatra
The Hilljatra, which is being celebrated in some parts of Pithoragarh district, is essentially the festival of pastoralists and agriculturalists. In the developmental process, the aathon (eighth day of bhado) and Gawra Visarjan also became the part of Hilljatra.

Kandali
The festival begins with the worship of a Shiva Linga made of barley and buck wheat flour mixture. Local liquor is traditionally used during this festival. Every household performs it in a decorated comer of the courtyard. People pray for prosperity.

Holi
The Baithki Holi begins from the premises of temples, where Holiyars (the professional singers of Holi songs) as also the people gather to sing songs to the accompaniment of classical music.

Basant Panchmi
Makar Sankranti is a very auspicious day. It is celebrated throughout the country in some way or the other with a lot of warmth and intensity. The state of Uttarakhand is no exception. History of the Makar Sankranti Festival in Uttarakhand.

Makar Sankranti
The sun moves to the northern hemisphere. It enters the Zodiacal sign of Makar or Capricorn from the Zodiacal sign of Kark or Cancer. This movement to the Uttarayana symbolizes that the day of the Gods have started. So it is the ideal time to do something.

Phool Dei
Phool Dei is celebrated on the first day of the month of Chaitra in mid March and on this day young girls conduct most of the ceremonies. In some places this festival is celebrated throughout the month with the advent of spring.


Harela and Bhitauli
Harela is usually a Kumaoni festival to mark the coming of the rainy season. The celebration falls on the month of chiatra and month of Shravan.


Ghee Sankranti
Olgia is celebrated on the first day of Bhado (middle of August), when the harvest is lush and green, vegetables are in abundance and the milch animals very productive.


Khatarua
Khatarua is essentially the special festival of pastoral- agricultural society and celebrated on the first day of the month of Ashwin in mid September, and signifies the beginning of the autumn.


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