Harela Mela is a fair that takes place every year from July 16 to July 21 and is usually held on the RamLeela Ground in

Bhimtal Bhimtal ( Kumaoni: ''Bhīmtāl'') is a town and a nagar panchayat, near Nainital city in Nainital district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. It is situated at an altitude of 1370 meters above sea level and is about 22 kilometers from Nainita ...

Kumaon Kumaon or Kumaun may refer to: * Kumaon division, a region in Uttarakhand, India * Kumaon Kingdom, a former country in Uttarakhand, India * Kumaon, Iran, a village in Isfahan Province, Iran * , a ship of the Royal Indian Navy during WWII See also ...

. The Harela Mela commemorates celebrations surrounding the historic Kumaoni festival of

Harela Harela is a Hindu festival celebrated in the Indian state of Uttarakhand and in some regions of Himachal Pradesh. This festival is very popular in the Kumaun region of Uttarakhand, and is celebrated by the name Harela (हरेला). This nam ...

Significance

Harela literally means “Green/Yellow Leaves” . There are traditionally two Harela’s in a year, one in the

Chaitra Chaitra (Hindi: चैत्र) is a month of the Hindu calendar. In the standard Hindu calendar and India's national civil calendar, Chaitra is the first month of the year. It is the last month in the Bengali calendar, where it is called Cho ...

month of the

Hindu Calendar The Hindu calendar, Panchanga () or Panjika is one of various lunisolar calendars that are traditionally used in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, with further regional variations for social and Hindu religious purposes. They adopt a ...

(March / April in the

Gregorian Calendar The Gregorian calendar is the calendar used in most parts of the world. It was introduced in October 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII as a modification of, and replacement for, the Julian calendar. The principal change was to space leap years dif ...

) and one in the

Shravan Shravana Kumara () is a character mentioned in the ancient Hindu text ''Ramayana.'' He is best known for his filial piety towards his parents. He was killed accidentally by Prince Dasharatha. Life Shravana Kumara's parents, Shantanu and Gyanva ...

month of the Hindu Calendar (July / August in the Gregorian Calendar), corresponding to the change of seasons. However the Harela Mela itself is held as part of the Shravan festivities which also aligns with the start of the

monsoon A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annual latitudinal osci ...

season in India and symbolizes the crop growing season. According to local folklore, the festival also commemorates the wedding of Lord

Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...

and the Goddess

Parvati Parvati ( sa, पार्वती, ), Uma ( sa, उमा, ) or Gauri ( sa, गौरी, ) is the Hindu goddess of power, energy, nourishment, harmony, love, beauty, devotion, and motherhood. She is a physical representation of Mahadevi i ...

History of the Harela Mela

The Harela Mela itself has survived over a 100 years. The Harela Mela possibly evolved as an extension of a farmer’s market around the harvest season. Prior to Indian independence, traders transported crops and other wares from far off places in the planes like

Bareilly Bareilly () is a city in Bareilly district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is among the largest metropolises in Western Uttar Pradesh and is the centre of the Bareilly division as well as the historical region of Rohilkhand. The c ...

, Rampur, etc. to the hills of

to sell. People from the hills of Kumaon would gather to purchases these products and over time this became the Harela Mela. The Mela itself was previously held in the city centre on the ground near Lilavati Pant College but was shifted to its present location on the RamLeela ground in 1980 due to insufficient space. Prior to 2013 the fair was a 2 day event organized by the Harela Khel Sanskritik Manch but owing to increasing popularity was taken over by the town municipal corporation and converted to a 5 day affair.

Political Significance

The fair also has a traditionally political aspect to it. Various local political bodies put up stalls to increase party awareness as well as recruit party members into their fold. Prior to Indian Independence, this was a meeting occasion for various freedom activists. Politicians like Narayan Dutt Tiwari started off their career by attending political programmes organized at this fair.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Harela Mela Culture of Uttarakhand Hindu festivals Fairs in India Nainital district Harvest festivals in India July events Religious festivals in India