Phool Dei festival a symbol of rich cultural heritage of state: Guv

Tribune Reporters

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Dehradun, March 14

Governor KK Paul today said Phool Dei festival was a symbol of the state’s rich cultural heritage and love for nature.

He said all possible efforts should be made to preserve and nurture the heritage of rich folk traditions.

Thirty girls (between the age group of 4 and 10) showered flowers at the threshold of Raj Bhawan this morning to celebrate the festival. The Governor welcomed them and offered them rice and sweets (according to tradition), giving them best wishes.

He said the message of nature conservation must be conveyed to the new generation and this could be done best by involving children in the celebrations.

He congratulated the organiser of the programme, Shashi Bhushan Maithani and the activists of “Rangoli Andolan” for making an effort to keep alive the strong folk culture of the state.

He said such initiatives were required for always keeping alive such healthy and progressive social traditions.

Celebrations in Kumaon

Phool Dei was celebrated in the Kumaon region with fervour today. The festival of flowers is celebrated on the first day of solar month every year. Young people, especially girls, take bath in the morning, worship village deity and apply vermillion marks on their forehead and chant ‘Phul Dei, Chamma Dei, Deno Dwar, Bhar Bhakar’, besides decorating entrance of every house in village for good in coming year.

The girls and children get gifts in the forms of rice, gur and money, which they use to make ‘Saya’. It is later consumed by them. “Rice flours are squeezed at first into dough with curd. Then ghee is used to fry it for a considerable time. When the item turns brown, sugar is added,” said Kaushal Kishore Saxena, a well know Kumaoni cultural writer, based in Almora.

According to Saxena, the festival is celebrated in the Kumaon region to mark the beginning of the spring season. ‘Badi’ community sings songs for the well being of the families in their villages. Married girls get gifts from their parents. This tradition is known as ‘Bhitola’.

Cultural writer YD Vaishnav relates this festival with that of Romans according to which people used to mark the festival of flowers in the name of their deity Flora. “The celebration of Phool Dei in the Kumaon region has been linked to the ancient Romans’ festival of flowers by Vaishnav in his book Sanskriti Sangman Uttaranchal,” said Saxena.