Fairs and festivals in Uttarakhand

Fairs and festivals have constantly been an essential part of the life of Indians and people of Uttarakhand are no different. The state of Uttaranchal has several fairs and temples, intrinsic to the culture of the hills. These fairs are considered very auspicious and form important trading centers for the people from different sectors of crafts to sell their works and animals, especially hill ponies. Many folk songs and dances are alive today because of these fairs doubling up as social gatherings.

There are many fairs in Uttarakhand like Ardh Kumbh Mela, Nandadevi Fair, Jauljibi & Thal Fair, Uttarayani Fair, Hatkalika Fair, Khataltua Fair, Somnath Fair and Devidhura Fair. The Somnath fair in Almora is one of the best fairs that happen in Uttaranchal which is held on the auspicious Vishuwat Sankranti day in November / December. Somnath is another name for Lord Shiva so it is a big day for his devotees. The venue for the fair is the Shiva Temple at Masi.

The Devidhura fair on the other hand is held on the day of Raksha Bandhan at the Varahi Devi temple at Devidhura. Almora, Pithoragarh and Nainital form a common point of Devidhura. A strange ritual of this fair is that two groups of people throw stones at each other and defending themselves with roofs as shields. There are many other things that one will be surprised to know about so read on to find more about the fairs of Uttarakhand.

Bikhauti Fair
Uttarakhand have vivacious people celebrating life on any given occasion. Any fair or festival is a part of these celebrations surrounding the lives of ordinary people. Bikhauti Fair is celebrated on the day of Vishuwat Sankranti day commemorating an ancient victory.

Haatkalika Fair
The Haatkalika fair is held in Gangolihat, a small town in the Pithoragarh District of Uttarakhand. The fair is organized in honor of Goddess Haatkalika, a divine embodiment of Maa Kali.

Jageshwar Fair
Imagine a single fair for a cluster of almost two hundered temples. Think of a crowd of thousands of people amidst these ancient places of worship with a legend older than the temple building.

Jauljibi & Thal
Fairs and festivals are an important part of lives of the people of Uttaranchal. The fairs are a place to socialize and meet people and do business. Jauljibi and Thal are such popular fairs celebrated in Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand.

Haridwar Kumbh
Ardh Kumbh Mela is held every six years at the banks of the holy Ganges River in Haridwar. Millions of people gather to be part of a religious fervor and inspite of the rush still manage to have a good time.

Nanda Devi Fair
Fairs in Uttarakhand serve as a meeting point for mingling with people from other parts of the state, trade items of local produce and of course celebrate something of religious importance.

Purnagiri Fair
Purnagiri is located on the top of a hill and is 20 kms from Tanakpur. Purnagiri It is located on the right bank of the river kali. Also known as Punyagiri (meaning the mountain of good deeds), the Purnagiri temple is visited by thousands of devotees throughout the year.

Uttarayani Fair
The people of the state of Uttarakhand celebrate a number of fairs and festivals. The Uttarayani Fair is a perfect example of the highly sacred sentiments of the local residents. Of all the places, the Bageshwar temple fair attracts the largest number of people.

Basant Panchami
A festival not only gives a welcome break but also adds colors to our life. Basant Panchami is the festival celebrating spring season which comes accompanied by a huge variety of flowers presenting a riot of colors to the environment.

Bhaitauli & Harela
The people of Uttarakhand have great enthusiasm for their festivals. Harela is curiously a Kumauni festival celebrated to mark the beginning of the rainy season or the monsoon. The celebration falls on the first day of Shrawan

Ganga Dussehra
Ganga Dusshera is celebrated in Uttarakhand with lot of enthusiasm. This festival starts on the tenth day of Jaishtha (May-June) according to the Hindu calendar. It begins on the Amavasya night (dark moon night) and continues till Dashami tithi or the tenth phase of the moon.

Makar Sankranti
Sankranti or Sankrant is derived from a Sanskrit word meaning ‘to move’ and usually symbolizes a harvest festival not only in India but in many South-East Asian countries as well. Makar Sankranti is one of the major festivals of the Indian subcontinent.

Phool Dei
The land of Uttarakhand is known for numerous fairs and festivals. All the festivals celebrated here have an immense deal of ceremonial grace and magnificence. Both the festivals of Phool Dei and Olgia/ Ghee Sankranti have a relation with nature