Bagwal is a popular cultural festival celebrated in Uttarakhand, India, 30 days after Diwali. It is also known as Budhi Deepawali. The festival is celebrated by singing folk songs and participating in folk dances like Tandi and Ranso.
It is believed that when Lord Ram reached Ayodhya after conquering Lanka, people welcomed him by lighting diyas and celebrated it as the festival of Deepawali. The myth goes that people in the region of Uttarakhand got to know about the victory after 30 days, so here it is celebrated 30 days after Diwali.
The festival of Bagwal is celebrated by singing and dancing with bhailo which is made by combining small bundles of dry roots of deodar and pine.
After the worship of deities during the day, people from nearby places gather at one place and play Bhailo. In the Bhailo game, the bhailos are used to show tricks by setting them on fire, along with the traditional folk dance Tandi and Ranso. Also, songs like Bhailo Bagwali.
Background:
Uttarakhand with 65% forest area is home to some terrific biodiversity. With more than 500 species of butterflies, and innumerable moth species, it is a haven for butterfly and moth watchers. The Devalsari Society, with support from NGO’s, local communities and the Uttarakhand Forest Department, has been conducting the Devalsari Titli Utsav for 5 years now, and this year, We are organizing A Cultural event – Bagwal Festival.
Purpose:
The primary purpose of the Bagwal Utsavs is to promote and preserve Cultural in Uttarakhand, ensure benefits to local communities through community ecotourism and to support the local artists.
Introduction:
Devalsari, tucked away in the Aglar Valley, in Tehri Garhwal District, Uttarakhand, is the home of the Jaunpuris. The snow-capped peaks of the Middle Himalayas, looming in the distance, marvelous deodar, oak and rhododendron forest, surrounded by terrace fields. The Pali Gad stream flows through Bangsil into the Aglar River, winding its way through a forest landscape with altitudes varying from 1,200m at Thatyur up to 3,048 m at Nag Tibba, the highest peak in the area. It is 80 km from Dehradun by road (55 km from Mussoorie).
About the Society:
The Devalsari Environment Protection and Technology Development Society, a rural community not-for-profit organisation, was set up to promote ecotourism and conservation at involving local youth in Devalsari and surrounding villages. The main aim of the Society is to promote village-linked livelihoods while conserving the area’s natural resources and retaining its traditional and cultural practices. The Society aims to promote ecotourism with nature tourism as its focus. The Society also promotes bee keeping and supports bee colony development by providing technical training and holding camps. Finally, the Society promotes production and marketing of local organic produce and natural honey. It markets its pure, natural honey under the brand name “Deodar”. Arun Gaur of the Society was selected for the Sanctuary Asia Wildlife Service Award in 2019. In addition, the Society made it to the Top 3 in Outlook Responsible Tourism Award (Wildlife Conservation) in Dec 2019.
