Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Festivals in Nainital

Nainital is a cosmopolitan locality and abounds faiths and believes associated with various and sects of people living here through generations. The sixteen sankars of life as enunicated in Hindu religion are observed with slight modifications and amendenments which make the Kumaoni style of observance.Hill temples are the monuments having admixture of deep sense of art and culture. Sculpture varies with time of inception of the temple.The mode of worship is also different in many aspects from that of the plains. Modern day temples are more alike the temples of the plains, and the older ones fit to the Kumaoni influence.

These temples act as the nucleus of the social and cultural activities. After harvesting season people mostly relax,rejoice, fance and sing thus a festivals is generated. At the transition of sun from one constellation to another Sankranti is observed. Each sankranti has a fair or festival connected to it somewhere in Kumaon.

Phooldeyi or Phooldeli (Approx.14th March),
Bikhauti (Approx 14 April),
Hariyala (Approx 16th July),
Gheeya Sankranti or Olgia (Approx 16th Aug),
Khatarua (Approx 17th Sep.),
Uttarani or Kale Kaua (Approx 14 January),
Basant Panchami,
Samvastar Pareva and Batsavitri are the mostly observed Sankranties throughout the region.

No comments: