“In these villages the local residents worship Chipla Kedar Deva, a form of Lord Shiva and Bhagwati, his consort…,” said Narendra SinghHe is a resident of Baram village of Dharchula.
‘Holi will bring bad luck, so stay away from colors’
There are more than 100 villages in Pithoragarh district which stay away from the celebration of Holi.
The Chipla Kedar Yatra, a famous trek and pilgrimage that takes place every three years, is extremely popular among the local people of the region.
As part of the holy expedition, pilgrims perform ‘Parikrama’ and take a holy dip in the Chipla Kedar ‘Kund’, also known as Gupta Kailash (Secret Kailash), located at an altitude of about 16,000 feet. Narendra Singh, a resident of Baram village in Dharchula, said the deities would be smeared with colours.
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Narendra Singh, a resident of Baram village in Dharchula, says, “That’s why playing Holi is considered inauspicious. For these people, Holi is just a normal day. This has been the practice for years, no one wants to offend God. Why take one Opportunity.”
Some also believe that tragedy befalls anyone who tries to celebrate Holi in those parts. It is said that families who have done this in the past were soon faced with some kind of hardship, such as a death in the family or the loss of cattle. “This land belongs to Bharari Devi and colors are forbidden here. It is believed that Holi will bring bad luck, so we stay away from colours,” said Khushal HarkotiaHe is a resident of Harkot village of Munsiyari.
According to historians, Holi is not primarily a hill festival anyway. “Tribal communities in the state, especially in the Jaunsar-Bawar region of Garhwal and other interior parts, do not believe in the rituals of Holi. Due to migration people are slowly adapting to new cultures and traditions. But historically Of course, Holi is not a festival of the hills, said Jai Prakash, a historian from Mussoorie.
Jeevan Thakur, a social worker from Dharchula, said, “These are remote villages, mainly inhabited by tribes – the Anwal community in Dharchula and the Barpatia community in Munsiyari’s Johar area. Over the years, they haven’t really warmed up It is a Hindu festival so they do not celebrate Holi till date.”
Those who celebrate the festival said that traditional Holi in the state is not about colors as much as it is about community traditions. ,neighbourhood The celebration of the famous Baithki Holi (sitting Holi) in Kumaon involves collectively cooking traditional dishes and singing folk songs,” said a resident.
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