Shocking! Over 100 Villages in Uttarakhand Said No To Holi, Here is Why?

When the whole of India was playing Holi, can you believe almost 100 villages in Uttarakhand denied playing it? Yes! Nearly 100 villages in Uttarakhand's Pithoragarh district's Dharchula & Munsiyari regions have boycotted the occasion and its celebrations. They believe that celebrating Holi will result in color stains on 'God's own mountains.'

Locals in these villages worship the "Chipla Kedar deity", a manifestation of Lord Shiva and his spouse Bhagwati. Pilgrims practice 'parikrama' & take holy dips in the Chipla Kedar kund, also known as Gupt Kailash, as part of the holy voyage. They believe that colours will contaminate the deity's area.

The location is well-known for the "Chipla Kedar Yatra", a renowned pilgrimage & trek, and the people fear that the colours of Holi would ruin their sacred land. The locals of this region do not take offending the local deity Chipla Kedar lightly. The inhabitants of these villages think that celebrating Holi will enrage the local deity, resulting in disastrous events.

Playing Holi is thus considered unlucky. Holi is just another day for these people. There is a widespread superstition in this region of the state that anybody who celebrates Holi would experience unfortunate events in their lives. It is also speculated that families who might have celebrated Holi had experienced a sequence of misfortunes, such as family deaths, etc.

Residents of this area may not celebrate Holi in the usual or popular manner, i.e. with colours. They do, however, celebrate a festival known as Baithki Holi. This Holi does not include the usage of any colours. Baithki Holi is celebrated by the villagers with local cuisine, folk songs, and dances.

According to certain historians, Holi is not a hill tribe festival. The hill villages adhere to their own set of beliefs, culture, and traditions. Indeed, it is this diversity that makes tourism in India so exciting.

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