Festivals celebrated in Kumaon
Uttarayani Mela
Held on gigantic scales, the fair is held simultaneously at a number of places like Bageshwar, Rameshwar, Salt Mahadev, Chitrashila (Ranibagh), Pancheshwar among others on the auspicious day of Uttarayani. The Dola of Chaumu is brought down to the temple at Pancheshwar. The festival of Uttarayani holds a special place in the culture of Uttarakhand, in general, and Kumaon, in particular.
Lakshmi Puja
In Kumaon, the pooja of the goddess of wealth is carried out in a strange and unique way with three sugarcane sticks placed like in a large plate to form a sort-of tripod and a fruit like a Malta or an orange placed right in the middle of it. The Malta (or orange) is ‘dressed’ in a red chunni with golden lining. Assuming this very fruit to be Goddess Lakshmi, the fruit is worshipped along with silver coins. This tradition is a true example of the Kumaoni’s faith in God almighty.
Basant Panchmi
Celebrated to commemorate the coming of the spring season and, also, the end of winter, Basant Panchmi is generally celebrated during the traditional month of Magh (January - February). People worship Goddess Saraswati, use yellow clothes or handkerchiefs and, in a few places, people put a yellow tilak on their foreheads. With this festival, the extremely popular holi baithaks also begin.
Bhitauli
On the first of the navaratris (nine day fasting period) in the month of Chaitra, women sow seven types of grains. The germination of these grains symbolizes the future harvest. On the tenth day, the yellow leaves, called Harela, are cut people put them on their heads and tuck them behind their ears. During this very month of Chaitra (March-April) brothers send gifts for their sisters. These presents are called ‘Bhitauli’, thus the name!
Harela
Celebrated in the month of Shravan (July- august), the month of festivals, to commemorate the wedding of Lord Shiva and Parvati, the festival is also associated with the arrival of the rainy season and the new harvest. On this day people make clay statues (Dikaras) of Shiva, Parvati, Ganesh etc. and worship them. The overworked bullocks find a rare a rest on the occasion of Harela.
Mela at Devidhura
The mela is held in the Varahi Devi temple at Devidhura on the day of Raksha Bandhan. Situated at a focal point of Almora, Pithoragarh and Nainital districts, Devidhura is centrally located. A special attraction at the fair is ‘Bagwal’. An image of Goddess Varahi is kept in a locked brass casket and, then, the casket is taken out in a procession to a nearby mountain spring where a blindfolded priest ritually bathes the image before putting it back in the casket.
In the Bagwal, held the next morning, two groups (khemas) of people throw stones at each other while they try to shield themselves with the help of the big roofs. It is quite a thrilling spectacle in itself before the priests and the elderly step in to stop the Bagwal.
Ganga Dusshera Mela
It is a very popular festival of the hills and is celebrated to commemorate the arrival of the River Ganges on earth which, traditionally, is called Gangavataran. It is held over the first 10 days of the month of Jyeshtha (in June). A dip in the Ganga on this day, according to mythological and popular beliefs, cleanses all the sins of the mortals. A mela is also held on the occasion at Purnagiri.
Khatarua
Khatarua signifies the arrival of the autumn season, a very important time of the year for the pastoral - agricultural society and is celebrated on the first day of the month of Ashwin in mid September. Bonfires, around which children dance, and offerings of cucumber to the fire of Khatarua mark the celebrations. Cucumbers’ offerings, as is the popular belief, destroy all evil influences.
Gananath Mela in Almora
A mela is held in Gananath, situated 47 kilometers away from Almora, every year on the occasion of Kartik Poornima around the months of October/ November. The town is at an elevation of 2,116 meters above sea level, but still thousands of pilgrims brave the weather and come to worship Lord Shiva and Lord Ganesha. Many childless couples also visit the place to evoke blessings for the divine gift of a child of their own.
Mela in Jageshwar
Jageshwar lies in the stunningly beautiful Jatganga valley. The place has a complex of 12 temples and holds a special place in the religious circles of the whole of India as one of the 12 Jyotirlingas of India is situated here.
Jageshwar holds a couple of fairs, one on the occasion of Shivratri mostly in the month of February and another one in the month of Shravan i.e. July-August according to the English Calendar. Visitors attach great importance to a dip in the Jat Ganga and in the Brahmakund, near the temple complex, especially when there is a fair being held.
Nanda Devi Mela
Originally conceptualized by Baj Bahadur Chand, a contemporary of the Mughal king Aurangzeb, Nanda Devi Melas are celebrated at many places in Kumaon. Almora, Nainital, Nauti, Dandidhara, Munsyari and Ranikhet are among the most notable venues. The Almora and Roopkund fairs are the most famous of all of the fairs. The procession carrying the Dola of Nanda Devi in Almora witnesses huge crowds of devotees. People pray for prosperity, both material and spiritual, at the fair.
The fair is held in the month of September at the Nanda Devi temple of Almora that was built during the reign of Raja Udhyot Chand. The fair has great religious and cultural significance as it is held in memory of Goddesses Nanda and Sunanda. The fair traces its origin to the reign of Raja Kalyan Chand in the 16th Century that makes it all the more important, historically.
Phooldei
It is celebrated in the months of March/April. On the occasion of Phooldei, young girls put the first flowers of the season on the entrance or threshold of every house in the village, for good luck throughout the year. This is a big example of how communities are closely bonded and linked in the hills of Kumaon as no one puts these flowers in front of their own houses alone.
Other prominent festivals that are part of the festival calendar of Kumaon are Samvatsar padyaoo, Govardhan, Dikar Puja and Ghuian Ekadashi among others. These festivals have been a source of inspiration and flag-bearers of brotherhood in the hills of Kumaon.
Uttarayani Mela
Held on gigantic scales, the fair is held simultaneously at a number of places like Bageshwar, Rameshwar, Salt Mahadev, Chitrashila (Ranibagh), Pancheshwar among others on the auspicious day of Uttarayani. The Dola of Chaumu is brought down to the temple at Pancheshwar. The festival of Uttarayani holds a special place in the culture of Uttarakhand, in general, and Kumaon, in particular.
Lakshmi Puja
In Kumaon, the pooja of the goddess of wealth is carried out in a strange and unique way with three sugarcane sticks placed like in a large plate to form a sort-of tripod and a fruit like a Malta or an orange placed right in the middle of it. The Malta (or orange) is ‘dressed’ in a red chunni with golden lining. Assuming this very fruit to be Goddess Lakshmi, the fruit is worshipped along with silver coins. This tradition is a true example of the Kumaoni’s faith in God almighty.
Basant Panchmi
Celebrated to commemorate the coming of the spring season and, also, the end of winter, Basant Panchmi is generally celebrated during the traditional month of Magh (January - February). People worship Goddess Saraswati, use yellow clothes or handkerchiefs and, in a few places, people put a yellow tilak on their foreheads. With this festival, the extremely popular holi baithaks also begin.
Bhitauli
On the first of the navaratris (nine day fasting period) in the month of Chaitra, women sow seven types of grains. The germination of these grains symbolizes the future harvest. On the tenth day, the yellow leaves, called Harela, are cut people put them on their heads and tuck them behind their ears. During this very month of Chaitra (March-April) brothers send gifts for their sisters. These presents are called ‘Bhitauli’, thus the name!
Harela
Celebrated in the month of Shravan (July- august), the month of festivals, to commemorate the wedding of Lord Shiva and Parvati, the festival is also associated with the arrival of the rainy season and the new harvest. On this day people make clay statues (Dikaras) of Shiva, Parvati, Ganesh etc. and worship them. The overworked bullocks find a rare a rest on the occasion of Harela.
Mela at Devidhura
The mela is held in the Varahi Devi temple at Devidhura on the day of Raksha Bandhan. Situated at a focal point of Almora, Pithoragarh and Nainital districts, Devidhura is centrally located. A special attraction at the fair is ‘Bagwal’. An image of Goddess Varahi is kept in a locked brass casket and, then, the casket is taken out in a procession to a nearby mountain spring where a blindfolded priest ritually bathes the image before putting it back in the casket.
In the Bagwal, held the next morning, two groups (khemas) of people throw stones at each other while they try to shield themselves with the help of the big roofs. It is quite a thrilling spectacle in itself before the priests and the elderly step in to stop the Bagwal.
Ganga Dusshera Mela
It is a very popular festival of the hills and is celebrated to commemorate the arrival of the River Ganges on earth which, traditionally, is called Gangavataran. It is held over the first 10 days of the month of Jyeshtha (in June). A dip in the Ganga on this day, according to mythological and popular beliefs, cleanses all the sins of the mortals. A mela is also held on the occasion at Purnagiri.
Khatarua
Khatarua signifies the arrival of the autumn season, a very important time of the year for the pastoral - agricultural society and is celebrated on the first day of the month of Ashwin in mid September. Bonfires, around which children dance, and offerings of cucumber to the fire of Khatarua mark the celebrations. Cucumbers’ offerings, as is the popular belief, destroy all evil influences.
Gananath Mela in Almora
A mela is held in Gananath, situated 47 kilometers away from Almora, every year on the occasion of Kartik Poornima around the months of October/ November. The town is at an elevation of 2,116 meters above sea level, but still thousands of pilgrims brave the weather and come to worship Lord Shiva and Lord Ganesha. Many childless couples also visit the place to evoke blessings for the divine gift of a child of their own.
Mela in Jageshwar
Jageshwar lies in the stunningly beautiful Jatganga valley. The place has a complex of 12 temples and holds a special place in the religious circles of the whole of India as one of the 12 Jyotirlingas of India is situated here.
Jageshwar holds a couple of fairs, one on the occasion of Shivratri mostly in the month of February and another one in the month of Shravan i.e. July-August according to the English Calendar. Visitors attach great importance to a dip in the Jat Ganga and in the Brahmakund, near the temple complex, especially when there is a fair being held.
Nanda Devi Mela
Originally conceptualized by Baj Bahadur Chand, a contemporary of the Mughal king Aurangzeb, Nanda Devi Melas are celebrated at many places in Kumaon. Almora, Nainital, Nauti, Dandidhara, Munsyari and Ranikhet are among the most notable venues. The Almora and Roopkund fairs are the most famous of all of the fairs. The procession carrying the Dola of Nanda Devi in Almora witnesses huge crowds of devotees. People pray for prosperity, both material and spiritual, at the fair.
The fair is held in the month of September at the Nanda Devi temple of Almora that was built during the reign of Raja Udhyot Chand. The fair has great religious and cultural significance as it is held in memory of Goddesses Nanda and Sunanda. The fair traces its origin to the reign of Raja Kalyan Chand in the 16th Century that makes it all the more important, historically.
Phooldei
It is celebrated in the months of March/April. On the occasion of Phooldei, young girls put the first flowers of the season on the entrance or threshold of every house in the village, for good luck throughout the year. This is a big example of how communities are closely bonded and linked in the hills of Kumaon as no one puts these flowers in front of their own houses alone.
Other prominent festivals that are part of the festival calendar of Kumaon are Samvatsar padyaoo, Govardhan, Dikar Puja and Ghuian Ekadashi among others. These festivals have been a source of inspiration and flag-bearers of brotherhood in the hills of Kumaon.
No comments:
Post a Comment