Dayara Bughyal: Butter Holi Festival

Imagine playing Holi with milk, butter and chaach (butter milk) at an altitude of 10,000 feet on a Himalayan trek! As bizarre as it may sound, the villagers of Raithal near Uttarkashi do exactly that.

They are seen having a jolly good time celebrating Anduri, a festival, on the velvet green grass of Dayara Bugyal in Uttarakhand. This high altitude Butter Holi Festival of Dayara Bughyal is one of its kind and happens from August 16 to 18 every year.

Anduri is a festival of expressing gratitude to mother nature. The locals flock with their cattle to the grassland of Dayara. They are seen expressing their love for the Dayara meadows, which provide fodder for their cattle. The eventful proceeding starts with some 500 villagers, who are seen playing Holi with butter milk on the slopes of Dayara.

It is a happy sight to see the locals singing, dancing and rejoicing with butter-smeared faces. After this, local children are seen presenting cultural programs. Elaborate skits of Lord Krishna are done by them, with full costume and make up.

The festival has slowly caught attention of trekkers and travellers alike. So next time you want to play Butter Holi on a trek, you know where to head.

Youtube video link: Courtesy: Sunil Navprabhat and ETV News.