Events

The festival of lights on Kartik Amavasya. In Kumaon, the Lakshmi Pad Aipan is drawn fresh at every doorway to

Sisters apply tilak to their brothers and pray for their long life, closing the five days of Diwali.

Worship of the Sun god with offerings at sunset and sunrise, observed by the Purvanchali community, including along the rivers

Uttarakhand's own Diwali, celebrated on Kartik Shukla Ekadashi, eleven days after the main Diwali. Villagers swing flaming bhailo torches, honour

The full moon of Kartik, marked by holy dips in rivers and lamps lit on the ghats.

The great winter fair of Kumaon at the confluence of the Saryu and Gomti rivers in Bageshwar, beginning on Makar

Kumaon's Makar Sankranti festival. Sweet dough birds (ghughute) are fried and strung into necklaces, and children call the crows at

The sun enters Capricorn and Uttarayan begins. In 2027 the Sankranti moment falls late on the night of 14 January,

Worship of Goddess Saraswati on Magha Shukla Panchami. In Kumaon, this is when Baithki Holi (classical Holi singing) is in

The great night of Lord Shiva. Devotees throng Jageshwar Dham, Baijnath and Shiva temples across Kumaon for all-night worship.