Uttarakhand Holidays 2023

Public, national, regional or bank holidays help us in planning quick vacations with loved ones without needing to take an absence from work or classes. Here, we have compiled a list of all public and bank holidays in the state of Uttarakhand for 2023.

Major festivals

Kumbha Mela: It is one of the most popular festivals of Uttarakhand. It is the biggest congregation of pilgrims which entails taking dips in the river of Ganga to rid oneself of one’s sins. Followers, saints, sadhus, or just onlookers, regardless of their caste, creed, or gender originate from throughout the nation and even the world to bathe themselves in the waters of Ganga, hoping to eliminate the cycle of birth and death. This meal is a 3-month lengthy festival that happens once every 4 years rotating between Allahabad, Haridwar, Ujjain, and Nasik, i.e., just when 12 years in any one place.

Basant Panchami

It is the festival that celebrates the coming of the Basant or spring season. It is a significant festival in Uttarakhand. This festival marks the end of wintertime, a season of death and degeneration, and is celebrated in the month of Magh or January/ February. The traditional clothes themselves up in yellow clothing, do Chounphula and Jhumelia dances and fly kites.

Chaitali and Harel

Harel is a festival that marks the beginning of the rainy season or monsoon. People belonging to the Kumaon community celebrate this festival during the month of Shravana, i.e., July-August. Mythological, this event celebrates the wedding celebration of Lord Shiva and Parvati. People make small idols or dikars of gods like Maheshwar, and Ganesh. This festival is adhered to by another, Bhaitauli which is celebrated in the month of Chaitra, i.e., March- April. It focuses on farming where ladies plant seeds in the soil and by the end of the festival they reap the harvest which is called Harela.

Makar Sakranti

For the people of Uttarakhand, this festival notes the change of reason. According to the Hindu religious texts, Makar Sankranti marks the day of Uttarayani, i.e., the sunlight has gotten in the zodiacal indicator of ‘makar’ (Capricorn) from ‘kark’ (cancer) as well as has therefore started relocating in the direction of the north.

Bissu

Bissu, the harvesting festival is celebrated over five days, when processions of local deities are taken out in palanquins.