“Early in the morning, my sleep was beautifully anticipated with the hymn of small children, singing ‘Phool-Phool Dei Daal Choul De…’ coming right from the veranda, I woke up immediately and walked out of my room … there were beautiful flowers on the doorway, neatly placed at the corners of each door... It was a celebration of the first day of Spring, it was ‘Phool Dei’ Today.”
Phool Dei, is a festival of flowers, celebrating the coming of the spring and the harvest in the hills of Uttarakhand. The name Phool Dei derives from Phool (flower) especially the Phyoli flower (a wild bright yellow color flower) and Dei (a customary pudding made from rice flour, ghee, curd, and jaggery). It has cultural similarities with the Roman festival of flowers dedicated to the deity called Flora. In Indian mythology, the feminine is identified with nature (nature being referred to as mother), and hence it’s no surprise that little girls are the most active participants of this festival.
It takes place on the first day of the Chaitra season, from March to April, and, is also known as the harvest festival in the state. You will get to see various breeds of flowers in the valleys, Buransh is one of the most precious and eatable flowers of the season. The weather is calm and pretty for city hustlers to escape to the hills.
You will see young kids getting together in the morning, in search of different flowers to fill up their baskets with flowers. From here the festival begins and continues for the coming 9 days. on the very first day after collecting flowers tiny feet moves to the temple of Ghoga Devata, they clean the temple by themselves, prepare the Doli (for carrying), decorates the Doli with the Red-Yellow-White Dupattas & Flowers, after the puja, and settle down Ghoga inside the Doli, the kids carry the Doli on their shoulders and move towards the village, singing a folk song of “Phool Dei” - Phool-Phool Dei Daal Choul Dey…Ghogha Deva Phula Phool” & “ Chala Phalari Phoolo Ko Souda-Souda Phool Birola”.
They go from house to house, enchanting melodies, spreading colors and freshness of flowers, offering jaggery, rice, and coconut. It is believed that they bless the homes by sprinkling flowers and rice on the doorsteps. In return, the young children are offered sweets and blessings for their act. On the last day of the festival, all the villages come together and help kids to prepare the meal for the lunch and eat together.
“The whole acts of the festivals strengthen the communal bonding and the bonding with nature among the villagers. It symbolizes well-being as a whole and their harmony with nature. following the melody of their distant ancestors.”
It’s a lifetime experience to be in the hills at the time of Phool Dei, to participate in the festival of flowers and fruition and the pulse of life in the Himalayas.
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