Halda festival begins in Lahaul-Spiti

Dipender Manta

Tribune News Service

Mandi, January 28

People of tribal district Lahaul-Spiti are celebrating the Halda festival with traditional fervour.

Kishan, a resident of the Tinnan valley in Lahaul, said, “The two-day festival, which began today, is celebrated in the Tinnan, Chandra and Gahar valleys of Lahaul-Spiti in January or February every year. It marks the beginning of New Year for crops in the Lahaul valley, which remained under cover for six months due to heavy snowfall.”

He said, “As part of the celebrations, pencil cedar branches are cut into strips and tied together into bundles to make a torch known as halda. The number of torch remains equal to the male members of each family. Halda is lit inside the house before moving out of it, where all villagers are gathered at a specific place to perform the rituals.”

The festival is dedicated to ‘Shashikar Apa’, Goddess of Wealth in the Lamaistic Pantheon. The date of the actual celebration is decided by a ‘pujaris’ and a Lama. They choose the site where members from every household collect lit cedar twigs to form a bonfire. Usually, Lahaul is covered with snow during this time of the year. However, the district is facing a drought-like situation this year. The festival is celebrated to please local deities seeking better crops in the coming season as well as to expel evil souls out of the villages. Ravinder Kumar, another resident of district, said the bonfire, which consisted of few branches from every family, signified the unity of the community. After being lit, it was dispersed to the bonfires at homes and community areas as good luck, happiness and hope.

“The festival teaches us to live happily and stay in touch with our land, ancestors and cattle,” he added.

Special local dishes, ‘manna’ and ‘siddu, are offered with ghee to local deities.