Fagli Utsav begins in Lahaul-Spiti

Tribune News Service

Mandi, February 5

The five-day Fagli Utsav began in Lahaul-Spiti last evening and will continue till February 9. The festival is being celebrated with traditional fervour, depicting the rich cultural heritage of the district.

Fagli Utsav is celebrated to express gratitude towards local deities.

Ramesh Kumar Rulba, resident of Rawaling village in Ranika Panchayat, said the festival, locally known as ‘Kus’, is one of the most important festivals of the Pattan valley. Villagers decorated their houses and light lamps.

Locals said each day of the festival had a special name. The first day was called ‘punha’, representing ploughing of a field.

He said people prepared local dishes like ‘totu’, and ‘marchu’, and offered these to the deities.

Sham Azad of Lahaul said, “According to the ritual, the head of the family and his wife prepare ‘totu’, a dough of roasted barley flour and butter milk, in the morning and offer it to the deities. After that, it is distributed among family members.”

“During the festival, people also pay respects to their cattle and acknowledge their dependence on them. They also visit an old person in the village and later in the day, the entire villagers congregate to pay respect to each house with ‘marchu’, a local dish,” he added.

The residents of Lahaul Spiti celebrate a number of festivals during winter when the entire district remains cut off for around six months due to heavy snowfall.