<\/p>\n
\u2018Chaitola\u2019 festival celebrated in eastern Kumoan region<\/p>\n
B.D.Kasniyal<\/p>\n
Pithoragarh, April 2<\/p>\n
\u2018Chaitola\u2019, the festival to celebrate village deities for their sacrifices to facilitate agriculture by keeping away the elements wanting to destroy it and also to celebrate new crop, a tradition from ancient times, concluded in villages of Soor region of eastern Kumaon today.<\/p>\n
“The festival, celebrated before harvesting of Rabi crop session, concluded today after decorated umbrella\u00a0that symbolises \u00a0the local land deity \u2018Deval Samel\u2019, was taken to all 22 villages of Soor valley, that venerate the deity as their land deity or \u2018Bhumiya Devta\u2019,” said Chandreshekhar Bhatt, priest of \u2018Deval Samel\u2019 temple at Seradeval in Soor valley.<\/p>\n
“Beginning of festival to venerate local land deities(Bhumiya devta),\u00a0 for their contribution in facilitating the profession of cultivation in their respective regions in ancient times, in eastern Kumaon region of Champawat and Pithoragarh, begins on Navami (9th day), of the month of Hindu calender from Chamdeval region of Champawat district of Kumaon region.<\/p>\n
“The villages of Nyuldhukra, Baskuni, Drilling, Pulla, Pokhari Jakh, Sirkot and Chaupata, venerate the \u2018Chamu\u2019 deity, who in ancient times\u00a0 freed the region from the terror of a man eating demon by killing the demon and facilitating the occupation of agriculture in that region,” said Shankar Datt Pandey, a member of Chaitola management committee in Chamdeval area of Lohaghat.<\/p>\n
“To pay respect to \u2018Chamu\u2019 deity, for freeing\u00a0 them from the terror\u00a0of demon in ancient times,, the village women prepare \u2018Papads\u2019 from the rice flour that is grown in their fields as \u2018prasad\u2019 of the festival, “said Padma Datt Pant, a cultural historian of eastern Kumaon region.<\/p>\n
In Pithoragarh district, the \u2018Chaitola\u2019 festival is celebrated besides in 22 villages of Soor valley, in Satgarh village, in Jakhpant area of Soor region and in villages surrounding the Asurchula peak and some other parts of valley.” All \u2018Chaitola\u2019 palanquins or coloured umbrellas visit these villages, symbolise the presence of land deity or protector deities, who initiated settlements in these respective areas by freeing the cultivators from terror of foragers in the time of beginning of the settlements in that particular area,” said Padma Datt Pant.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u2018Chaitola\u2019 festival celebrated in eastern Kumoan region B.D.Kasniyal Pithoragarh, April 2 \u2018Chaitola\u2019, the festival to celebrate village deities for their sacrifices to facilitate agriculture by keeping away the elements wanting to destroy it and also to celebrate new crop, a tradition from ancient times, concluded in villages of Soor region of eastern Kumaon today. …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":8480,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[92,33,1284,91,59],"tags":[3939,156,160,1447],"class_list":["post-8479","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-international","category-international-political-national","category-national","category-uttarakhand","tag-chaitola-festival","tag-champawat","tag-pithoragarh","tag-soor-valley"],"yoast_head":"\n