Phool dei festival is one of the renowned and auspicious festival of Uttarakhand State. This festival welcomes spring season and starts from the day one of Hindu month, Chaitra till the end of month.
It is known as harvest festival of Uttarakhand state. Whole month is celebrated with full of joy and blessings of God.
This first month of Hindu calendar signifies the joy and prosperity of mankind throughout the year.
This festival is known as #phool dei in Kumoun region and phool sangrad in Garhwal region of state Uttarakhand. In this festival, little children gather at every dei/door of village/ town & prays to God for keeping healthy and wealthy status of that dei by offering flowers, green leaves, rice and jaggery (gud(sweet)) to God at dei of a house. Dei means to say about the door step of a house, that allows the entry of every thing in the house of a family. Dei is also known as deli or dehri or dehli.
Children sing a song, “Phool Dei, Chamma Dei, Deni Dwar, Bhar Bhakaar, Yo Dei Sa Barambaar Namashkar, Puje Dwar.”. It means to say: यह देहली फूलों से भरपूर हो और मंगलकारी हो। यह देहली सबकी रक्षा करे और घरों में अन्न के भंडार कभी खाली न होने दे।
In return, children are presented with blessings and gifts like sweets, jaggery, money etc.
Highlights of phool dei festival:
- Young & little children of the villages/ towns pluck the first flowers of the spring season and scatter these flowers on the doorsteps of their home and other houses of their villages/town.
- This festival shows and bounds the inner connection between the families & communities living in the villages/ towns.
- Folk singers welcome the spring with their music and are given rice and gifts.
- A dessert, made up of jaggery, is the key dish of this festival.
