More than 100 villages in Uttarakhand’s Pithoragarh district said no to Holi; here’s why

While the majority of the places in India recently celebrated Holi, the festival of colours, it was a normal day for several villages in Dharchula and Munsiyari in Pithoragarh district. No Holi for these villages, and there’s an interesting explanation for this.

The region is famous for the Chipla Kedar Yatra, a popular pilgrimage and trek, and the locals believe that the colours of Holi will stain their holy land. Annoying the local deity Chipla Kedar is not something the residents of this region take lightly. The residents of these villages believe that celebrating Holi will upset the local deity and some tragic events may befall them. The people in this region may not celebrate Holi in the traditional or the more popular way, that is, with colours. However, they do celebrate something called Baithki Holi. This version of Holi is without the use of any colours. The villagers celebrate their Baithki Holi with traditional food, folk songs and dances.

As per some historians, Holi, as such, is not a festival of the hill tribes. The hill communities follow their unique beliefs, culture and traditions. In fact, this diversity makes the travel experiences across India so interesting.

Kumaon region
The Kumaon region in Uttarakhand is made up of six districts, namely, Almora, Bageshwar, Champawat, Nainital, Pithoragarh and Udham Singh Nagar. The region has some of the most attractive trekking routes and important temples. Jim Corbett National Park is one of the most popular attractions of the Kumaon region.