October Brightens Doon Valley with Festivity

| | Dehradun
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October Brightens Doon Valley with Festivity

Monday, 22 October 2018 | JASKIRAN CHOPRA | Dehradun

October has always been the month when the Doon valley comes fully alive with several festivals and festive events making it somehow the most happening month for people of the valley. After the long spell of heavy rains, the weather is just perfect-neither warm nor too cold–ideal for organising and attending the many colourful events that have now become annual affairs for this city.

Dussehra and Durga Pooja kept Doonites busy and happy till a couple of days ago and now comes the period between Dussehra and Diwali which is seen to be as beautiful as is the period between an engagement and a wedding. In this rather auspicious time, Doonites are ready to celebrate with events like Virasat, Rajpur Nature Festival and trade fairs planned at Parade Ground, the festive heart of the valley. Virasat, the arts and heritage fesival that has been held in the valley since the 1990s will be organised from October 22 till November 4 this year. This festival has always drawn huge crowds of Doonites as well as tourists from all over the world who are in this region during this season. It has been enchanting people and has grown into a “Mecca” of art and culture for artistes, scholars, craftspersons, poets and art lovers. In fact, a large number of people from other parts of the State come to Doon for this fourteen day fest every year.

The Rajpur Nature Festival  will be held this year from  October 26 to 28 at its usual venure-the picturesque Christian Retreat Centre in Rajpur.This will be its fifth edition.

Meanwhile, Diwali is already in the air. Shopping fests for the festival of lights are underway at many places in the town. October has always been the harbinger of celebrations in the forms of fairs and autumn festivals in the Doon valley , alongwith founder’s day festivities of schools like Doon , Summer Valley and many others . In fact, these celebrations  carry on till Christmas and the new year.

During this time, cultural fairs, trade fairs, Diwali Melas ,Sharadotsavs and Founder’s day fetes keep people entertained and happy. Preparations are on for various fairs at the Parade Ground which bring in Angora wool shawls and sweaters from Kumaon and a wide range of Herbal products, handicrafts and clay items .    

"Sharadotsavs" (Autumn Festivals ) are held in Nainital,Mussoorie and Pithoragarh in October-November. These festivities attract a large number of tourists. Most melas, which used to be, earlier, held in the Rangers’ College grounds, are now held at Parade Ground which is now to Doon what the Pragati Maidan is to Delhi. People look forward to the Diwali Mela as it gives them a variety of items to select from during  their Diwali shopping. Diyas made of clay and ornamental lamps and a range of buntings are very popular in this mela besides colourful and perfumed candles from Nainital.

Schoolchildren from various schools gather at the “fetes’ and “theatre performances’  which are part of the founders’ celebrations and enjoy themselves thoroughly before getting down to serious studies in November. Intermingling among children from all schools creates an atmosphere of gaiety and joy which is enhanced by the air of festivity brought by Diwali.

Mussoorie’s  grand annual “Autumn Fest” (Sharadotsav) sees a “Shobha Yatra’ passing through Landour, Picture Palace , Kulri Bazaar and reaches Gandhi Chowk via the Mall Road. Cultural troupes from various parts of the country participate in the yatra. Sports events, a fashion show , qawaali night, folk songs of Garhwal and Kumaon and Punjabi Pop music are usual  highlights of the fest.

It is heartening to see that in these days when people prefer technology as a source of entertainment and one would have thought that melas were outdated, huge crowds arrive at all these events mentioned above. Since the seventies, these events have been extremely popular in the Doon valley.The Diwali mela and Basant Mela were two events that were the most popular at Ranger’s College grounds in the seventies and eighties.

Such fairs and fests showcase the local hill products and encourage craftspersons from various parts of the country to participate on a large scale. They provide the much needed outdoor fun to the people and create a platform for social interaction. So here’s wishing Doon all the fun and cheer-till new year celebrations!

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