‘Hill Jatra’, a festival of masks celebrated in Soor valley of Pithoragarh
‘Hill Jatra’, a festival of masks celebrated in Soor valley of Pithoragarh
B.D. Kasniyal
Pithoragarh, Sept 5
‘Hill Jatra’, a festival of masks, celebrated in Soor valley of Pithorgarh district of Uttarakhand from last 500 years, was held in Kumaor village today.
“Hil, in local language is meant for mud, and jatra is going across, this ‘Hill Jatra’ means going across muddy fields that is indication of paddy production,”said Yashwant Singh Mahar, a local.
“The festival, mainly started for recreation of agricultural folks after the agrarian community went tired due to plantation of paddy crop in muddy fields of Soor valley. This is also a part of ‘Gaura’ festival of Soor valley as the effigies of Gaura and Maheswar are immersed in a temple or water body on the day marking the culmination of Gaura celebration,” said Yashwant Singh Mahar, organiser of the festival and an actor of main character of ‘Lakhiya Bhoot’ in the festival.
The agrarian characters, displayed before the audience included, pair of oxen, ploughing farmer, lazy oxen, horse rider, groups of women planting paddy saplings, and several other characters seen essentially in agrarian work in Soor valley.
According to Mahar, whereas the festival of Gaura had come to Soor valley from Nepal with their ancestors, the ‘Hill Jatra’ was part of it. ‘Hiran Chital’, another agrarian festival, depicting masks of several agrarian characters is celebrated in other villages of the district simultaneously.
‘Lakhiya Bhoot’, the main attraction of ‘Hill Jatra’ of Kumaor village, is said to have been originated after the ancestors of village, cut down neck of a male buffalo, that seemed impossible due to twisted horns around the neck of the buffalo, in a field before the king of Nepal some 500 years ago.” Pleased with skill of our ancestors, the king allocated mask of ‘Lakhiya Bhoot’ and permitted to celebrate it in our village,” said Mahar.
‘Lakhiya Bhoot’ is worshiped as ‘Virbhadra’, an eminent follower of Lord Shiva, who was sent to destroy the ‘Yagna’ of Daksha Prajapati in Satyug, when Sati, the better half of Lord burnt her body in Yagna fire after she witnessed her husband is being humiliated by her father by not giving him proper seat in the row of dignitaries. ” We awake the ‘Lakhiya’, embody him and worship him to please, as he is benevolent deity and gets us agrarian prosperity,” said Mahar.
Over 10000 packed audience witnessed the festival in Kumaor village as it began with traditional songs of Jhoora, Chachri, and Khel covered by local songs sung with local musical instruments.” The Chief Minister Pushkar Singh was scheduled to address the ‘Hill Jatra’ gathering online today from Dehradun but due to some urgent work his programme was cancelled,” said Yashwant Singh Mahar.
