Harela – Festival of Greenery 16th July, 2022

Harela – Uttarakhand’s Folk Festival

Harela, celebrated according to Hindu calendar month of Monsoon, marks the beginning of the rainy season (Shravan). Harela means "Day of Greenery". The festival commemorating the new crop in the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand. It is considered to be an favorable day for farmers, as it is the day when they start the sowing cycle in their fields. Preparations to celebrate Harela festival begins 10 days earlier the actual event is due. Harela is celebrated with faiths of a good crop/harvest and bringing pleasure and prosperity to families. About five to seven sorts of seeds like – maize, mustard (sarson), urad (black gram), til (sesame) and oats are sown in tiny buckets or dona (bowl made of soil) and watered every day

To celebrate Harela, a festival is dedicated to Hindu gods Shiva and Parvati, saplings are planted by many devotees, associations, and the government. On the World Environment Day, celebrated on 5^th June, the Uttarakhand police started a huge tree plantation campaign, under which one lakh saplings were to be planted in police premises by July 16, which is the day Harela is celebrated.

Why Uttarakhand celebrates Harela --

Villagers across Uttarakhand, mainly the Kumaun region, associate greenery with prosperity. All the government departments, organizations, schools/colleges, NGOs, volunteers, social workers and locals participated in the plantation drive.

Kheer, swanla, puwa, chhole, rayata and other traditional dishes are prepared as the celebratory spread. People make statue with clay of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, known as Dikare, and worship them a day before the festival.

The Chief Minister of State said that the Harela festival connects society with nature and the environment. Guarding of the environment has been in the Uttarakhand’s culture. He declared public holiday on Harela festival, so that all the people of the state will be able to participate in the plantation. Annually a big number of plantations together is a big step towards environmental safety. He said that the plants to be planted on Harela festival will also be maintained.