Traditional Fagli festival celebrated with fervour in Spiti

Locally known as "Kus", Fagli is regarded as one of the most significant festivals of the Pattan valley. It marks a time when villagers express gratitude to their local deities and seek blessings for prosperity and well-being. Homes are decorated and earthen lamps lit, lending warmth and colour to the stark winter landscape.

Local resident Nand Lal Thakur said Fagli holds immense cultural and religious significance for the people of the valley. “It is one of our most important festivals. Every ritual and tradition associated with it has been passed down through generations,” he said.

Residents said each day of the festival carries a distinct name and meaning. The first day, known as Punha, symbolises the ploughing of fields and reflects hopes for a fruitful agricultural season.

Another villager, Mohan Lal Relingpa, highlighted the culinary traditions associated with the festival. “Families prepare traditional dishes such as totu and marchu, which are first offered to the deities,” he said. As per custom, the head of the family and his wife prepare "totu" -- a dough made of roasted barley flour and buttermilk -- early in the morning. After the ritual offering, it is distributed among family members as prasad.

Relingpa added that the festival also underscores the community’s close relationship with nature and livestock. Villagers pay respect to their cattle, visit the eldest member of the village as a mark of reverence and later move from house to house carrying marchu, fostering a sense of collective participation.

With winter bringing heavy snowfall and prolonged isolation due to disrupted road connectivity, festivals like Fagli serve as vital occasions for social bonding. Through singing, dancing and shared rituals, residents reinforce communal harmony and endure the long winter with collective joy and resilience.