Ritual as Resilience – Celebration of Harela festival

Harela, a vibrant and significant festival celebrated in the Indian state of Uttarakhand reflects the region’s profound connection with nature, its agrarian traditions, and its deep-rooted cultural heritage. Observed primarily in the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand, Harela serves as a reminder of the harmonious coexistence of humanity and the environment, blending spirituality with ecological awareness. ​

The state of Uttarakhand harbors various traditional practices which signifies the role of nature-based interactions of community in form of traditional commitments and one of these significant practices is the celebration of Harela festival. Harela, meaning “Day of Green” in the Kumaoni language, is a vibrant and significant festival celebrated in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. This festival reflects the region’s profound connection with nature, its agrarian traditions, and its deep-rooted cultural heritage. Observed primarily in the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand, Harela serves as a reminder of the harmonious coexistence of humanity and the environment, blending spirituality with ecological awareness. ​

Origins and significance

Uttarakhand, with its deep-rooted agrarian traditions, relies heavily on agriculture for both sustenance and economic well-being. Among the region’s most significant cultural observances is the Harela festival, which heralds the start of the sowing season and celebrates the cyclical rhythm of farming life. The Harela festival, deeply rooted in the agrarian culture of Kumaon, is traditionally associated with the monsoon season (Shravan month, July-August). It also commemorates the divine union of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, reflecting themes of fertility and prosperity and inclination of the sacred ritual of reverence of deity in form of agricultural offerings.

This vibrant festival reflects hope, unity, and reverence for the land in following myriad ways. Harela marks the onset of the monsoon and the beginning of the agricultural season. For farmers, sowing seeds during this time represents hope for a prosperous harvest. The festival reaffirms the vital role of agriculture in the lives of the people and highlights the importance of farming as a cornerstone of livelihood in Uttarakhand.

Set against the backdrop of Uttarakhand’s lush green landscapes, Harela is a celebration of nature’s abundance. As the monsoon transforms the hillsides into a vibrant tapestry of vegetation, the festival encourages people to appreciate and respect the natural resources that sustain life.

Dedicated to Goddess Shakti, the embodiment of fertility and strength, Harela is a spiritual appeal for blessings, good rains, and agricultural success. Farmers invoke the goddess’s power to nurture the land and ensure a fruitful season, reflecting the deep spiritual ties between humans and nature in the region.

Harela is deeply embedded in the cultural fabric of Uttarakhand. Through time-honored rituals such as sowing seeds in small containers, crafting clay idols, and participating in folk music and dance, the festival helps preserve the traditions and customs passed down through generations. It is a living expression of the region’s cultural identity.

Beyond its agricultural and spiritual significance, Harela is a time for togetherness. Families and neighbors come together to celebrate, share traditional meals, and partake in ceremonies. This communal spirit strengthens social bonds and fosters a sense of belonging across villages and communities.

In recent years, Harela has also become a platform for raising environmental awareness. Activities like tree planting and eco-friendly campaigns are now common, reflecting a growing consciousness about sustainability. In a region as ecologically sensitive as Uttarakhand, the festival underscores the importance of living in harmony with the environment.

Celebration of Harela

Ten days before Harela, families sow seeds of grains like barley, wheat and maize along with local pulses of usually seven, five or eleven types depending on the community and seasonal availability in small bamboo-based baskets. The commonly sown species are wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), barley (Hordeum vulgare L), black soybean (Glycine max L.), black gram (Vigna mungo(L.) Hepper), Horse gram (Macrotyloma uniflorum (Lam.) Verdc.), paddy (Oryza sativa L.) and mustard (Brassica juncea (L.) Czern.).

By the festival day, these seeds sprout into lush green shoots, symbolizing new life. A common belief is that the bigger and lush Harela is, the lush and abundant the main crop will be in upcoming season. These shoots, called Harela, are cut and placed on the heads of family members by elders as a blessing. The act is accompanied by traditional chants wishing for prosperity and well-being. ​Clay idols of deities such as Lord Shiva, Goddess Parvati, and Lord Ganesha, known as “Dikare” or “Dikars”, are crafted and worshipped during the festival.

However, two lesser-known but equally significant variations of Harela are celebrated in Ashwin (October-November) and Chaitra (March-April), marking critical phases in the agricultural cycle (See Box 1). These festivals reflect the farming community’s reliance on divine blessings for a bountiful harvest and protection from natural calamities.

While the monsoon Harela (Shravan) remains widely celebrated, the Ashwin and Chaitra Harela festivals are observed less frequently these days owing to changing cropping choices from food grains to fruit crops, climate uncertainty which disrupt traditional farming schedules and loss of traditional knowledge over generations.

In regions like Bhimtal town of Nainital district in Uttarakhand state, the “Harela Mela” is held from July 16^th  to 21^st July, featuring local crafts, music, and traditional performances, reflecting the rich cultural tapestry of Uttarakhand. ​

Strengthening climate resilience

Harela has evolved into a festival that not only celebrates agricultural abundance but also emphasizes environmental conservation. The festival effectively aligns with the sustainable development goals and nature-based solutions towards the natural resource management. The Harela festival is a traditional system of climate adaptation and risk mitigation. By aligning rituals with key agricultural cycles, Harela reinforces sustainable farming practices, ecological awareness, and community preparedness against climatic uncertainties.

The festival also serves as a weather forecasting tool. Harela’s timing (Shravan/July, Ashwin/Oct-Nov, Chaitra/Mar-Apr) coincides with critical farming phases-monsoon sowing, winter crop planting, and harvest periods working as indigenous almanac which is a part of traditional knowledge. Elders of the region use natural indicators (e.g., bird behavior, cloud patterns) during Harela to as observational wisdom to predict rainfall, hailstorms, or droughts, helping farmers adjust sowing/harvesting schedules.

This festival is also celebrated as a protection ritual as the farmers pray for hailstorm prevention (common in March-April) and timely rains, reducing crop vulnerability. Moreover, the ritual of sowing barley/wheat and pulses seeds in small baskets (later offered to deities) doubles up as a traditional seed preservation practice, ensuring hardy crop varieties survive erratic weather and is also traditional process of seed sorting.

Celebration of the festival also helps in soil and biodiversity conservation. Harela involves planting saplings (traditionally oak, bamboo, or fruit trees), which prevent soil erosion during heavy rains, improve groundwater recharge and support biodiversity (e.g., oak forests sustain Himalayan ecosystems).

Many villages conduct the process of designating “Dev-van” (sacred forests) during Harela, preserving native flora that buffers against lean season for forest resource conservation. Communities participate in tree planting drives, and educational institutions encourage students to plant saplings, reinforcing the importance of ecological balance. ​

The festival also strengthens social bonds, with families exchanging gifts and communities organizing fairs and cultural programs and chanting ritualistic songs.

Conclusion

Cultural festivals like Harela, are more than just rituals—they represent the deep connection between Kumauni people and their land. Before Harela, communities collectively prepare fields, reinforcing mutual aid systems for climate shocks (e.g., rebuilding terraces, farm management) while the rituals emphasize safe grain storage, a resilience strategy against crop failures due to unseasonal rains or pests through seed sorting and storage in case of crop failure due to climatic uncertainties. Moreover, the psychological resilience and cultural coping is a part of this practice as the festive celebrations alleviate farmers’ anxiety over climate risks (e.g., hailstorms ruining crops) on one hand and enhances intergenerational learning through stories and songs during Harela which pass down adaptive strategies (e.g., mixed cropping, terrace farming) to younger generations on the other hand.

As the festival continues to blend tradition with contemporary environmental consciousness, it stands as a testament to Uttarakhand’s commitment to preserving its cultural heritage and natural resources. By revitalizing its practices, the region can combat modern climatic threats while preserving its cultural heritage as this festival is also a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness between people, land, and tradition. It not only celebrates the promise of a new agricultural season but also reinforces values of unity, gratitude, and environmental care.

References

Bhatt, H., Jugran, H. P., & Pandey, R., Cultural ecosystem services nexus with socio-cultural attributes and traditional ecological knowledge for managing community forests of Indian western Himalaya., Ecological Indicators, 166, 2024, 112379.

Dr. Harshit Pant
Scientist
Centre for Socio-economic Development (CSED)
G.B. Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment (GBP-NIHE)
Kosi-Katarmal, Almora-263 643, Uttarakhand, India
Email : harshit.pantj@gbpihed.nic.in