“Local residents in these villages love Chipla Kedar deity, a form of Lord Shiva and Bhagwati, his consort…”, he said Narendra Singha resident of Baram village in Dharchula.
“Holi will bring bad luck, so stay away from colors”
There are over 100 villages in Pithoragarh district which stay away from Holi festivities.
The Chipla Kedar yatra, a famous trek and pilgrimage that takes place every three years, is immensely popular with the locals of the region.
As part of the sacred expedition, pilgrims perform ‘parikrama’ and take sacred baths in the ‘kund’ of Chipla Kedar, also known as Gupt Kailasha (Secret Kailash), located at an elevation of around 16,000 feet. They believe the land of the deities will be stained by the colours,” said Narendra Singh, a resident of Baram village in Dharchula.
Uttarakhand: CM Dhami celebrates Holi with locals in Khatima
Narendra Singh, a resident of Baram village in Dharchula, said, “So playing Holi is considered inauspicious. For these people, Holi is just another normal day. This has been the norm for years, no one wants to annoy the gods. Why take a chance.”
Some also believe that tragedy strikes anyone who tries to celebrate Holi there. Families who have done this in the past are said to have seen some sort of deprivation immediately afterwards, such as death in the family or loss of livestock. “This land belongs to Bharadi Devi and color is forbidden here. Holi is believed to bring bad luck, so we stay away from colors,” she said Khusal Harkotiaresident of Harkot village in Munsiyari.
According to historians, Holi is in any case not primarily a hill party. “Tribal communities in the state especially in Jaunsar-Bawar region in Garhwal and other inland parts do not believe in Holi rituals. Due to migration people are slowly starting to adapt to new cultures and traditions. But historically, Holi it’s not a festival of the hills,” said Jai Prakash, a Mussoorie historian.
Jeewan Thakur, a social worker from Dharchula, said: “These are remote villages, inhabited mainly by tribes: the Anwal community in Dharchula and the Barpatia community in the Johar region of Munsiyari. Over the years, they haven’t really warmed up to parties Hindus therefore do not celebrate Holi to this day”.
Those who celebrate the festival have said that traditional Holi in the state is not so much about colors as it is about community traditions. “Quarter gatherings, collective cooking of traditional dishes and folk songs mark the celebrations of the famous Baithki Holi (Seated Holi) in Kumaon,” a resident said.
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