Uttarakhand: CM Dhami congratulated the people of the state on the occasion of Igas festival, CM appealed to the youth of the state to connect with the folk culture and folk festivals of the state
Igas is a folk festival of Uttarakhand, which will be celebrated with great pomp and show across the state today. CM Dhami extended his best wishes to the people of the state on the occasion of the Uttarakhandi folk festival, Igas. CM Dhami said, “The rich folk culture and traditions of Devbhoomi Uttarakhand are our identity. Just as cultural pride and heritage are being reborn across the country, the people of Uttarakhand are also celebrating their folk festival, Igas, with enthusiasm, faith, and joy.”
CM Dhami wrote on X: “Our government has declared a public holiday on Igas so that people can connect with their roots and celebrate this folk festival with their families in the traditional manner. On this auspicious occasion, I pray to God for happiness, peace, and prosperity in all your lives.”
What is Igas festival? There is a tradition of celebrating Bagwal and Igas in Uttarakhand. Diwali is called Bagwal here, while another Diwali is celebrated 11 days after Bagwal, which is called Igas. On the day of Igas, a festival deeply rooted in mountain folk culture, after cleaning the house, sweet dishes are prepared, and deities are worshipped. Cows and bulls are also worshipped. In the evening, a Bhailo dance is performed in an empty field or barn in the village. Bhailo is a type of torch that is swung around during the dance. Firecrackers are not used on Igas.
Two Most Popular Beliefs About the Igas Folk Festival: According to folklore, there are many different stories behind the celebration of Igas, but two are the most popular. The first story is about the brave commander of Garhwal, Madhav Singh Bhandari. He was a commander of the King of Garhwal who, while fighting the enemy, went beyond the Tibet border. During this time, Diwali fell, but no one in the Garhwal region celebrated Diwali. Exactly 11 days after Diwali, when the brave soldier Madhav Singh Bhandari returned to his state, Diwali was celebrated with great pomp and show throughout the Garhwal region.
There was a delay in receiving information about Lord Rama’s return from exile: Another popular story is related to the Igas folk festival. It is said that when Diwali was being celebrated to mark Lord Rama’s return from exile, due to the lack of communication in the mountains, people received the news of Lord Rama’s return late. Consequently, Diwali is celebrated 11 days after Diwali in the mountains, and this folk festival is known as Igas.
