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According to the Hindu mythology, on the Makar Sankranti,
the sun becomes starts moving to the north. It is said
that from this day, which signals a change of season,
the migratory birds start returning to the hills. On
Makar Sankranti people give a mixture of pulses and rice
in charity, take ceremonial dips in holy rivers,
participate in the Uttarayani fair. This fair is held in
a number of places including Bageshwar, Rameshwar, Suit
Mahadev, Chitrashila (Ranibagh) and Hanseshwar etc. on
Makar Sankranti. At Pancheshwar the dola of Chaumu comes
down to the temple. The fair at Bageshwar attracts
maximum people. Its commercial, cultural and political
importance is still very high. Goods like iron and
copper pots, baskets, casks, bamboo articles, mats,
mattresses, carpets, blankets, herbs and spices are sold
during this fair. This fair attracts a large number of
people, who spend the whole night dancing and singing
Jhoras, Chancharis and Bairas.
Basant Panchami
The festival of Basant Panchami is celebrated to welcome
the spring season. This festival is celebrated in the
month of February. During this festival people worship
the Goddess Saraswati, use yellow handkerchiefs or even
wear yellow clothes and also put a yellow tilak on their
foreheads. This festival also marks the beginning of
Holi baithaks.
Phool Dei
Phool Dei is celebrated on the first day of the month of
Chaitra in mid March and on this day the young girls
conduct most of the ceremonies. In some places, this
festival is celebrated throughout the month with the
coming of spring season. During this festival young
girls go to all the houses in the street or village with
plates full of rice, jaggery, coconut, green leaves and
flowers. They offer their good wishes for the prosperity
of the household and are given blessings and presents in
return. Sei, a pudding made of floor, curd and jaggery
is prepared specially for this occasion. Folk singers
sing the Riturain, Chaiti and other songs welcoming
spring season and are given presents, money and
foodgrains.
Haatkalika Fair
The Haatkalika Fair is held on the eighth day of the
month of the Chaitra and Bhado. This fair is held in the
Kalika temple at Gangolihat. People come with drums and
flags to pay homage to Goddess Kalika. On this day,
animals are sacrificed and offered to the goddess. The
eight sacrifices processions with drums and dances are
worth seeing.
Kumbh Mela
The Kumbh Mela is the greatest fair which is held in
Haridwar after three years. Kumbha Mela is the most
sacred of all the Hindu pilgrimages. The Ardh Kumbh is
held after every six years and then after six years
Kumbh Mela is held. It is said that a holy dip in the
river Ganges during the Kumbh and Ardh Kumbh gives
Moksha or Nirvana. According to astrologers, the 'Kumbh
Fair' takes place when the planet Jupiter enters
Aquarius and the Sun enters Aries. The Kumbh Mela at
Haridwar is visited by millions of people, monks, saints
and sadhus making it the largest pilgrimage gathering
around the world. One of the major event of the festival
is the ritual bath at a predetermined time and place.
The other activities include religious discussions,
devotional singing, mass feeding of holy men, women and
the poor, and religious assemblies.
Syalde Bikhauti, Somnath Fair and Punyagiri Fair
Syalde Bikhauti, Somnath Fair and Punyagiri Fair is
celebrated on the Vishuwat Sankranti. Syalde Bikhauti is
celebrated on the occasion of an ancient victory. On
this day, the Bagwal fair is held at Syalde Pokhar in
the old town of Dwarahat. People also celebrate the
festival with music, songs and dances. One day before
this, a similar fair is held at Vibhandeshwar in which
Lord Shiva is worshipped. The Syalde Bikhauti fair has
been successful in retaining its old colour and gaiety
to a large extent. The Somnath fair is also held on the
Vishuwat Sankranti day in the Shiva temple at Masi. It
is a famous fair of Pali Pachhaun. Animals, specially
bullocks and calves, are sold at this fair. In the
summer the people in the valley of Ramganga W.,
especially in Masi and Bhikiasen, celebrate the unique
Machhli utsav (the fish festival). The villagers bearing
tumra come with Jaal, fatyav and hathiya to the river to
catch fish. The fish festival is locally known as Dahau.
Every year, the Punyagiri fair is held on Vishuwat
Sankranti and it attracts a large number of pilgrims.
During the Punyagiri fair, thousands of people visit the
temple at Punyagiri, which is situated on the top of a
mountain on the right bank of the river Kali, in the
district of Pithoragarh. The temple is very crowded
during the Navaratris of Paush and Chaitra.
Jageshwar Fair
Jageshwar fair is held on the fifteenth day of the month
of Baishakh (late March or early April) at the Shiva
temple in Jageshwar. During the fair people take holy
dips in the Brahma Kund and worship Lord Shiva. On this
day, fairs are also held in many other places.
Bat Savitri
The Bat Savitri festival is celebrated on the last day
of the dark half of the month of Jyestha. On this day,
the married women worship Savitri and the Bat or banyan
tree and pray for the well being of their spouses. The
women observe fast in honour of Savitri and Satyavan and
remember how Savitri through her intense devotion saved
her husband from the claws of death.
Ganga Dusshera
Ganga Dusshera is celebrated on the Shukla Dasami of the
Jyestha (May - June). The sacred Ganga is worshipped on
this day and Dusshera posters (dwarpatras or dasars),
which have various geometric designs on them, are put up
on the doors of houses and temples. These posters, once
hand written by brahmins, are now printed. On this day
people bathe in the holy rivers.
Harela and Bhitauli
Harela is peculiarly a Kumaoni festival that is
celebrated in the month of Shravan (August) to welcome
the rainy season and new harvest. The celebration starts
from the first day of Shravan. Ten days before the due
date, seeds of either five or seven kinds of grains are
mixed together and sown in pots inside the room, using
small baskets filled with earth. The sowing is done
either by the head of the family or the family priest in
a ceremony. Water is sprinkled after worship. The grains
germinate symbolizing the future harvest. These yellow
leaves, called Harela, are cut on the tenth day and
people put them on their heads and behind their ears. On
the last day of the month of Aashar, one day before the
actual celebration of the festival, a kind of mock
weeding is done with small wooden images of Lord Shiva
and Parvati. The people prepare the gaily painted images
of Shiva and Parvati and their off springs and worship
them. The Harela festival provides an opportunity to the
cultivator to test the qualities or defects of the seeds
he has in his store. This festival is also the occasion
to give the pocket money to the young girls of the
family. People put the blades of freshly cut Harela on
their heads and send them to their relatives and friends
as well. During this month, the brothers send presents
to their sisters. These presents are called Bhitauli.
Olgia or Ghee Sankranti
Olgia is celebrated on the first day of Bhado (middle of
August), when the harvest is lush and green and
vegetables are grown in abundance. In ancient times, the
sons-in-law and nephews would give presents to
fathers-in-law and maternal uncles, in order to
celebrate Olgia. Today, this festival is seldomly
celebrated. Agriculturists and artisans give presents to
the owners of their land and purchasers of their tools
and receive gifts and money in return. Oral harp,
metallic tooth pick, metal calipers, axes, ghee,
vegetables and firewood are some of the presents
exchanged on this day. People put ghee on their
foreheads and eat ghee and chapatis stuffed with 'urad'
dal. It is believed that walnuts sweeten after this
festival.
Janopunyu
The people of Kumaon celebrate Raksha Bandhan and
Janopunyu. On this day, the people change their janeu
(sacred thread). The famous Devidhurafair is also held
in the compound of the Varahi Devi temple at Devidhura
in district Pithoragarh on this day. Devidhura is
situated at a trijunction of Almora, Pithoragarh and
Nainital districts and the fair is well known for its
enchanting folk songs, dances and Bagwal. During the
Bagwal the two groups of people throw stones at each
other while they try to protect themselves by using big
roof like shields. The Devidhura fair has maintained its
old vigour.
Khatarua
Khatarua is the special festival of
pastoral-agricultural society and celebrated on the
first day of the month of Ashwin in mid September. This
festival signifies the beginning of the autumn. On this
day people light bonfires, around which children dance,
holding aloft colourful flags. People take special care
of their animals and feed them fresh grass. Cucumbers
are offered to the fire of Khatarua, which is said to
destroy all evil influences. The victory of the king of
Kumaon is also said to be one of the reasons for the
celebration of Khatarua.
Jauljibi and Thal fairs
The Jauljibi Fair is held every year in November at
Jauljibi, the confluence of the rivers Kali and Gori,
which is a meeting place of three different cultures -
the Shauka, Nepali and Kumaoni. This gateway to Johar,
Darma, Chaudans and Byans was at one time, considered to
be the central place between Tibet and the Tarai
regions. This fair is primarily a commercial fair and
its cultural importance cannot be overlooked. The people
came from Nepal to this fair in order to sell horses,
ghee and foreign goods and take back foodgrains, jaggery
etc. A similar fair is held at Thai on Vaishakh
Sankranti, 14 April and it attracts a large number of
Shaukas. As this fair is close to the Indo-Tibet trade,
so it has lost its former importance.
Nandadevi Fair
The Nandadevi fair is held at Almora, Nainital, Kot (Dangoli),
Ranikhet, Bhowali, Kichha and also in the far flung
villages of Lohar and Pindar valley. In the villages of
the Pindar valley people celebrate the Nandadevi fair
every year, while in Lohar, people come from far places
to Danadhar, Suring, Milam and Martoli in order to
worship the goddess. In Nainital and Almora thousands
take part in the procession carrying the image of Nanda
Devi. It is said that the Nanda Devi fair was started in
Kumaon during the reign of Kalyan Chand in the 16th
century. |
