Gaura, Maheshwar idols immersed in river, fest ends

Our Correspondent

Pithoragarh, September 8

The four-day Gaura Festival concluded in Pithoragarh town today as the idols of Gaura and Maheswar were immersed in the water body near a temple in the town. The festival was marked by presentations of Chanchari, Chapeli, Nyauli and Khel traditional dances, along with women of surrounding villages singing praises of Gaura and her ordeal in coming to her father’s home in the lower Himalayas from Kailash.

“The large gathering from surrounding villages and local colonies, besides residents who now live in metros or other cities, increased our enthusiasm,” said Jagdish Punera, general secretary of the festival committee.

In Bageshwar district, the festivities of Saton and Aathon or Gaura festival are still in progress. Women in villages are singing songs related with Gaura, which symbolise the routine ordeal of hill women after marriage, and praying to the goddess to fulfill their coffers with grains.

“We start celebrating Gaura festival from the fifth day of the month of Bhado, when we wet seven grains through which we worship our beloved goddess Gaura and wear a seven threaded ring on our left arm, which symbolises the year-long protection for husbands and children,” said Revti Devi, a woman in Garur sub-division of Bageshwar district.

Rajya Sabha MP from state Mahendra Singh Mahra today reached the remote villages of Sunkuri and Jmranso in Lohaghat sub-division of Champawat district and prayed before Gaura Devi.