Kangdali Festival in Uttarakhand: When people celebrate kandali shrub blooms once every 12 years

The region of Kumaon is not just breathtakingly beautiful, it has a rich history and heritage as well. Whether the majestic views of the Himalaya or its magnificent rich culture, Kumaon is charismatic in every way.

This little known region lies in the northern hill state of Uttarakhand in India. It offers some of the most stunning mountain scenery, from the perennially snow-capped peaks of the Great Himalaya in the north to its beautiful, green and lush hills in the south.

In the remote valley of Pithoragarh district, a plant, the kandali blooms only once every 12 years.

In a week-long festival, celebrating the blossoming of this flower the local people – the Shaukas, also known as the Rungs, participate with great gaiety and enthusiasm.

According to folklore, soldiers passing through along the Kali River plundered the villages on their way, and later, took cover amongst the Kandali plants. The village women attacked these soldiers after destroying the Kandali plants.

Another tale tells of a boy who died after applying the paste of the root from a shrub known as Kang-Dali on his wound. Enraged, his mother cursed the shrub and ordered the Shauka women to uproot all the Kang-Dali plants.

No celebration is complete without song and dance. People sing and dance all night to celebrate the upcoming event.

The festival begins with the worship of a Shivlinga. Locally brewed liquor is consumed during the festival. Every household performs a puja or prayer in a decorated corner of their courtyard. People pray for prosperity. These individual pujas are followed by a community feast.
Strips of white cloth are tied to a branch and a flag is raised.

A procession follows the flag. The women of the village lead the procession, each woman carries a ril (an implement used in compacting carpet knots on the loom) followed by men armed with swords and shields.

A victory dance is performed every twelve years upon the destruction of the kandali shrub while it is in full bloom... As they sing and dance, their music echoes in the valley, and upon approaching the blooms, warlike tunes are played and war cries are uttered. The women attack the bushes with their rils. The men follow this up by hacking the shrubs with swords, and then uprooting the plants and taking them back, as spoils of war. Victory cries are raised and rice is cast towards the sky to honour the deities with a prayer that the people of this Valley may always be victorious over their enemies. After the victory dance and the extermination of the shrub, the festival is concluded with a feast. Kandali last bloomed in October 2011.

This festival is celebrated with great enthusiasm. It is a matter of pride for the people of the Rung community and spreads the message of victory over evil. Chaudas Valley approx. 80 km from Dharchula.

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