With elements from each of the ethnic groups as well as sub-groups that reside here, the culture of uttarakhand shows a distinctive pattern. The culture is like a meeting point between different cultures, namely Kumaoni-Garhwali. Uttarakhand houses seven different ethnic groups, having as many as seven different cultures. Some of the important ethnic groups that form a part of the culture of Uttarakhand are:
The People of Uttarakhand:
People of uttarakhand are majorly known as either Kumaonis or Garhwalis; some of them are also known as Paharis, Jaunsaris, Bhotia, Buksha, Tharu and Raji.
Clothes :
Clothing of any place depicts the lifestyle and tradition of a place. In uttarakhand the two communities mentioned above have adopted their own style of dressing according to the cold climate which is prevalent there.
obtained from sheep or goat for manufacturing warm clothes.
Costumes of Women in Uttarakhand
Ghagri which is a long skirt is paired with a choli and dupatta is what you will see almost every woman wearing. Kumaoni as well as garhwali women both wear this attire.
Ethnic people cover themselves with a sarong which is basically a mantle-type dress, along with a tightened blouse.
For brides the customary attire is that of a ghagra, lehenga and choli, as well as a pichora ghagra, it is designed with gold and silver tatting.
Costumes of Men in Uttarakhand
Men are seen wearing a lungi or a dhoti paired with a kurta. The locals love wearing a headgear or turban, which also happens to be a vital part of their traditional costume.An alternate attire would be the kurta-pajama that is widespread in this part of India.
Both men and women wear woolen jackets and sweaters in winter. In towns like Dehradun the influence of western clothing can be seen among youngsters.
Fairs:
As children we’ve always been fascinated by melas, they never fail to make anyone happy, excited and revisit their childhood once again, these are some of the prominent melas held in Uttarakhand :
- Devidhura Mela
- Ardh Kumbh Mela,
- Nanda Devi Mela,
- Kumbh Mela,
- Purnagiri Mela,
- Gauchar Mela, etc
Festivals
Festivals of Uttarakhand are not only distinctive but, also rather colorful, they are a blend of various cultural and social factors. The festivals have contributed to the enrichment of the state. The love for colors and celebrations of the people can be seen in the form of elaborate rituals and the way they surrender themselves to the numerous festivals of the region. The people of Uttarakhand celebrate all the major festivals of the nation with great pomp and joy.
These are some of the festivals celebrated with a lot of enthusiasm and an abundance of happiness :
- Pasant panchmi
- Nandadevi
- Olgia /Ghee Sankranti
- Makar Sankranti
- Ganga Dussehra / Dasara
- Phool Dei
- Hill Jatra
- Bat Savitri
- Janopunya
- Khatarua
- Chhipla jaat
- Kumaon Holi
- Kandali
Food
Food is something everyone likes to experiment with, the state has a rather simple, yet delicious cuisine. The primary food includes vegetables, though people also enjoy eating non-vegetarian food items. Milk as well as milk based products are seldom used here. Coarse grain packed with high fibre is rather common in the interiors of kumaon.Mostly, either mustard oil or pure ghee is used for cooking purposes. Rather simple recipes are made interesting with the use of hash seeds as spice! Some of the famous cuisines of Uttarakhand include the following:
- Bhatt ka jwala
- Dubke
- Chasiya
- Rassa bhat
- Bhatt Ki Chudkani
- Badi
- Gulgula,etc
Music and Dance:
Music is a rather important part of Uttarakhand culture. The serenity and calmness of the place inspires a ton of musicians to compose rather exceptional tones. the scintillating glimpse of streams of rivers, lush green forests and the heavenly beauty of the hilly areas are all the natural components of the folk music over here, mainly including the spiritual and socio-cultural scenes of the place.
some of the popular folk songs are `Mandals`, `panwaras` and somber `khuded`, `thadya` and `jhoda`.these folk songs are composed on the beats and nodes of Dhol, damoun, turri, ransingha, dholki, daur, thali, bhankora and masakbhaja.
Below are names of the various genres of music and dance forms of the state :
- Music: Chhopati, Chounphula, Jhumeila, Basanti, Mangal, Puja Folk Songs etc.
- Dance: Langvir Nritya, Barada Nati, Pandav Nritya etc.