Phool Dei

Phool Dei is the local festival celebrated in the Garhwal and Kumaon region of the Uttarakhand hills. It is celebrated every year on the Sankranti of Chaitra month (Mid-March) of Hindu Solar calendar. Uttarakhand mainly follows the Solar calendar, therefore, Sankranti(s) is extremely significant in the culture of Uttarakhand.

Significance

Sankranti marks the transition of the Sun into the various Zodiac signs. In the Chaitra Sankranti, Sun transits into the sign of Pisces which marks the arrival of Spring season. In Uttarakhand, this day is celebrated with fervor as it is also the time of Spring when beauty spreads all across the hills. In some places, it is celebrated throughout the month.

Though the festival is quite popular in the hills, but the people and children of Uttarakhand residing in the cities hardly celebrate it. The main reason is the lack of community culture, absence of flora and individual centered life-style prevalent in the urban areas which doesn't encourage the spirit of such festivals. Even in the hills, the spirit of this festival is waning due to the widespread migration of the people from the villages of Uttarakhand.

Celebration

The festival is extremely popular among kids and adolescent girls who celebrate it with great joy and enthusiasm. This festival is unique in many respects as it is mainly celebrated by children especially by young girls. On this occasion, children wake up early in the morning and  go together in groups to the nearby forest for plucking the various colorful flowers of the season. They collect these flowers in small handcrafted baskets made by local craftsmen using local bamboo sticks. On their way to the forest, they keep singing the traditional Phool Dei song in the local language.

Chala Phulari Phool ku

Sauda Sauda Phool Birola

Bhoron ka Jhootha Phool na today

Mvaronu ka Jhootha Phool na lanya

(Let’s go! Phulari for flowers

Will pick fresh flowers

Don't pluck flowers tasted by bumblebees

Don't pluck flowers tasted by honeybees)

Little children collect the flowers of Pyoli (Yellow flax) Buransh (rhododendron), Apricot and Plums from the forests. Full of mirth and joy, they put the flowers at the doorsteps of every house of the village. In turn, villagers greet them with various gifts like coins, sweets , jaggery, pudding etc. The young girls visit every house of the village, carrying with them the plates full of rice, jaggery, coconut, green leaves, and flowers while singing Phool Dei, Chamma Dei, Deno Dwar, Bhur Bhakar, Vo Dei Sei Namashkar, Puje Dwar. The arrival of young girls in the house is considered auspicious and the sign of prosperity in the hilly culture. The whole day, children roam around the village and keep putting the flowers at the entrances of the houses. The entrance is known as deli in the local language. During this festival, a special kind of pudding called Sei is made which is offered to the young children and visitors. It is one of the delicacy of the traditional Pahari cuisine which is prepared from the rice flour mixed with curd, jaggery, and sugar.

Legend

The festival of Phool Dei is believed to start with the story of a beautiful girl, Pyoli, which is an extremely popular folk-tale in Uttarakhand. There was a girl named Pyoli who lived in the hills. She was extremely fond of the flowers and they too loved her. She always lived in their joyful company. Once a Prince visited that area and was smitten by the beauty and charm of Pyoli. He married and brought her to his royal palace. Pyoli was the child of nature and couldn't enjoy the artificial beauty of the palace. Moreover, she kept missing her home and the company of flowers. Flowers too wilted during her absence. After some time, she fell ill. Prince tried various treatments and medicines but to no avail. Finally she passed away while missing her home and flowers. Full of sorrow, Prince realized that he did the blunder by separating her from nature. As per the last wish of Pyoli, he buried her in the hills amidst flowers. Strangely, when her burial was over, a beautiful yellow flower bloomed at that place. People of the hills realized that she was now transformed into that yellow flower and therefore they named it after her. From then onwards, people in the hills invite her to their homes on every Chaitra Sankranti by welcoming her with flowers. There are other versions of the folk-tale as well, which are also popular in the local culture.

Phool Dei

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