On the eve of the Harela festival, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami planted saplings at his residence on Sunday.
“Harela means greenery. This festival is an indicator of greenery and the beginning of the new season. Sawan begins with the Harela festival in Uttarakhand”, said CM Dhami.
Furthermore, stating the significance of the festival, Geeta Dhami, wife of Pushkar Singh Dhami said, “This festival is also celebrated as the marriage of Shiva and Parvati. Five or seven types of grains are sown in the basket 9 days before the Harela festival and it is harvested on the day of Harela.”
“It is believed that the bigger the Harela, the more profit the farmer will get in agriculture”, she added.
Harela is an annual celebration held in Uttarakhand on July 16. Notably, the state is also hosting the yearly Kanwar. It began on July 4th.
The ‘Kanwar Yatra’ is an annual pilgrimage for devotees of Lord Shiva. Kanwariyas travel to Uttarakhand’s Haridwar, Gaumukh, and Gangotri, as well as Bihar’s Sultanganj, to collect holy Ganga water and then worship the God with it.