\u2018Hill Jatra\u2019, the festival of masks to be celebrated as a state festival: CM Dhami
\nB.D.Kasniyal
\nPithoragarh, Sept 4
\n\u2018Hill Jatra\u2019, the ancient festival of masks, a representative of ancient agrarian traditions of Soor valley of Pithoragarh district along with \u2018Kol\u2019 traditions prevalent before that in the region, was solemnised in Kumaur village of Soor valley, here today.
\nThe \u2018Hill Jatra\u2019 this year started at 4 pm today and was inaugurated by
\nUttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami virtually while Congress Pithoragarh MLA Mayukh Singh Mahar was chief guest.”The Chief Minister announced that the \u2018Hill Jatra\u2019 will be celebrated as a state festival from next year,\u201d said Gopu Mahar.
\n“The festival depicts scenes at the time of transplanting paddy crop in the mud (called Hill in local language), during \u2018Khariff\u2019 agricultural season in which pair of ox, ploughing muddy field for paddy transplantation, women busy in plantation of paddy, old men smoking \u2018Hukka\u2019, lazy ox wanting to rest in muddy field, presence of wild animals deer and \u2018Cheetal\u2019 (spotted Deer) around the fields, representing exact character of ancient society at the time of paddy plantation are depicted by artists wearing various masks,” said Govind Singh Mahar, a resident of Kumar village.
\n“Besides the paddy transplantation scenes presented by masks, the festival is also known for \u201cLakhiya Bhoot\u201d, considered as \u2018Virbhadra\u2019, the demon disciple of \u2018Lord Shiva\u2019, that destroyed the \u2018Yagna\u2019 of \u2018Daksha Prajapati\u2019, after \u2018Mata Sati\u2019, wife of \u2018Lord Shiva\u2019, threw herself into fire after seeing humiliation of her beloved husband \u2018Lord Shiva\u2019 in the \u2018Yagna\u2019 being performed by her father at Kankhal,” said Mahar.
\n“As the \u2018Lakhiya Bhoot\u2019 is raised in Koli Mohallah of the village and dressed like demons of pre-agrarian era and gives blessing after been pleased, it represents \u2018Kol\u2019 traditions being respected by agrarian people,” said Mahar.
\nBesides in Kumaor village, the \u2018Hill Jatra\u2019 is also organised in various villages of Soor valley namely Bajeti, Rawalgaon, Rori Paku, Chamali, Dungri, Pali, Himtar, Jajar Chingari and Satgarh villages.”These villages name \u2018Hill Jatra\u2019 as \u2018Hiran Chital\u2019 festival but do not have character of \u2018Lakhiya Bhoot\u2019, which is the lone tradition of Kumaor village,” said Padma Datt Pant, a writer on local cultural of Soor region.
\n“The festival, that represents, ancient agrarian society of the valley, also represents Mask dance traditions Tibet that has entered into Soor valley via Nepal,”said Pant.
\nChandra Singh Chauhan, regional archaeological officer at Almora, who has reached here to cover the \u2018Hill Jatra\u2019 and plans to sent it for inclusion into UNESCO heritage list, said that his team has covered the festival from the ancient mask festival point of view.”We will sent it to Ministry of Culture, Government of India to be later referred it to UNESCO panel for inclusion into heritage list of international culture organisation,\u201d said Chauhan
\nAccording to Chauhan till date, \u2018Rammar\u2019, the masked dance festival representing events of \u2018Ramayan\u2019 era in folk style of Garhwal region is the lone festival from hills that has been enlisted by UNESCO as heritage cultural event.
\nWith solemnisation of \u2018Hilljatra\u2019, the week-long \u2018Gaura festival\u2019 or \u2018Aathon\u2019, came to an end today after the villagers immersed the effigies of Gaura- Maheshwar in a religious place.
\nParvez Ali, Police Circle Officer, Pithoragarh said that adequate security arrangements were made for the peaceful conduct with police ,home guards and fire services deployed for the festivities.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u2018Hill Jatra\u2019, the festival of masks to be celebrated as a state festival: CM Dhami B.D.Kasniyal Pithoragarh, Sept 4 \u2018Hill Jatra\u2019, the ancient festival of masks, a representative of ancient agrarian traditions of Soor valley of Pithoragarh district along with \u2018Kol\u2019 traditions prevalent before that in the region, was solemnised in Kumaur village of Soor …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":5460,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[92,33,1284,91,39,59],"tags":[1811,2519,2518,2521,160,1812,2520,2300],"class_list":["post-5459","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-international","category-international-political-national","category-national","category-tourism","category-uttarakhand","tag-chandra-singh-chauhan","tag-festivalofmasks","tag-hilljatrafestival","tag-padmaduttpant","tag-pithoragarh","tag-regional-archaeological-officer-at-almora","tag-soorvalley","tag-uttarakhandchiefministerpushkarsinghdhami"],"yoast_head":"\n