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Destinations


Uttarakhand ~ Festivals of Kumaon

Numerous fairs and festivals are celebrated all over Uttaranchal every year. In the Kumaon hills, the festivals celebrated are :

Uttarayani Mela
This fair is held at a number of places including Bageshwar, Rameshwar, Salt Mahadev, Chitrashila (Ranibagh), Pancheshwar, etc. on Uttarayani day. At Pancheshwar the dola of Chaumu comes down to the temple.

Shravan Mela (Jageshwar)
Jageshwar lying in the beautiful Jatganga valley, housing one of the 12 Jyotirlingas of India, is a complex of 12 temples. Two large fairs are held at Jageshwar, one on the occasion of Shivratri (February) and the other in the month of Shravan (July-August). A dip in the Jat Ganga and in the Brahmakund, near the temple complex, is of great religious significance on the occasion.

Gananath Mela (Almora)
Situated at an elevation of 2,116 meters above sea level, Gananath is 47 km from Almora. A fair is held here every year on Kartik Poornima (October/November), when thousands of pilgrims come to worship Lord Shiva and Ganesh. Childless couples also come here in large numbers to evoke blessings for the gift of a child.

Dwarahat Mela (Almora)
Situated in the wide valley of Ram Ganga (West), Dwarahat is 38 km from Ranikhet and has a cluster of old temples. A huge fair is organised here every year on Baisakhi Day.(April)

Festivals of India

More on Uttaranchal
Overview
Uttaranchal Districts
Char Dham Yatra
Corbett National Park
Mussoorie
Valley of Flowers
Kausani
Badrinath
Haridwar
Rishikesh

Travelogues
Kumaon Remembered
Haridwar

WildLife
Indian Tiger

Pilgrimages
Gangotri-Gaumukh

Trekking
Pindari
Khedatal Trek


Kasar Devi Mela (Almora)
This picturesque part of town is the venue for fairs held twice a year during the summer and winter months. Swami Vivekananda came to Almora and meditated in a small cave at Kasar Devi.

Nanda Devi Mela
Nanda Devi Mela is celebrated throughout Kumaon for prosperity, both material and spiritual.

Nanda Devi Melas are held at Almora, Nainital, Nauti, Dandidhara, Munsyari and Ranikhet, of which the Almora and Roopkund fairs are the most famous. At Almora, thousands of people take part in a procession carrying the dola of Nanda Devi. The Nanda Devi temple of Almora built during the reign of Raja Udhyot Chand, is the venue for the three day long Nanda Devi Fair. Of great religious and cultural significance, it is held at Nanda Devi Temple in September to commemorate the memory of Goddesses Nanda and Sunanda. It is said to have started in Kumaon during the reign of Raja Kalyan Chand in the 16th Century.

Information: Courtesy Government of India


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Editor: Romola Butalia       (c) India Travelogue. All rights reserved.