fairs in uttrakhand

fairs and festivals have constantly been an essential part of the life of Indians and people of Uttarakhand are no different. The state of Uttrakhand 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.

pic taken by praveen sajwan