Trekking In Garhwal » Fair-Festivals in Garhwal

The Spirit of people of garhwal can be seen in fair and festivals celebrated there. The festival brings to the fore the gaeity and merriment of the people living in the lap of the Himalayas. Some of the major festivals celebrated in the garhwal are:

Kunjapuri Fair : Kunjapuri fair is held in October every year during Navrataras at narendra Nagar. Over fifty thousand people gather here to participate in various activities. Display of skill and strength by the youth, handicrafts and handmade articles are main attractions of this fair.

Surkhanda Devi Fair: Surkhanda Devi Fair is held on the Ganga dussehra day at Surkhanda Devi temple, located at a distance of 33 kms. from Mussoorie. The temple is dedicated to Goddess Durga and is an important pilgrimage center. It can be reached by trekking about 2 kms. from Kaddukhal via Dhanolti on the road to Chamba. The worship of the Goddess is the main attraction of theis fair. Besides folk music and dance, the traditional handicrafts are also on display.

Magh Mela: Magh mela takes places on the occasion of makar Sankranti (January) in Uttarkashi every year. It is an important event of the district from religious, cultural and commercial point of view. a large number of local people and tourist participate in the mela, with many pouring in from different parts of Kumaon, Garhwal and other parts of Uttar Pradesh.

Tapakeshwar Fair: Tapakeshwar is a legendary place located on the eastern bank of the river Tons. Lord Shiva is the reigning deity of the ancient temple located here in a cave. In the Skandapurana, the place has been referred to as Deveshwara. It is believed that during Dwaparyuga this place was abode of Guru Dronacharya who livd here with his family. Since then, the cave was known as Drona Gufa. One of the famous heroes of Mahabharata and son of Guru Drona, ashwathama, was born here. When Ashwathama was very young, the poor father could not find any milk for him. The Guru was too poor to afford a cow. It was a matter of worry to the great master. One day, when young Ashwathama was crying for milk the helpless Guru advised him to pray and worship Lord Shiva who would bless him with milk. Ashwathama did so. Pleased with the young boy’s tough penance, Lord Shiva appeared before him in the garb of Brahmin and enquired about his wish.

Siddha Fair: Lakshman siddha is one of the four siddhpeeths around Dehradun. It has immense religious importance. It is about 10 kms away on Dehradun-Rishikesh Road. It can be easily approached by city bus or three-wheelers and is located about 1 km off the road inside jungle. It is mainly a local religious fair held every Sunday, but last Sunday of April has a special significance, when people turn up in very large number and congregation of 20 to 25 thousand people can be seen offering obeisance to the samadhi here.