Harela Wallpapers

Harela is a significant festival of Uttarakhand celebrated three times a year, with the most important observance falling on the first day of the month of Shravana (July-August), marking the onset of the monsoon and the beginning of the agricultural season. The word Harela means green, symbolizing the lush greenery of the monsoon season. Nine days before the festival, seeds of seven different grains (barley, wheat, rice, gahat, bhatt, maize, and mustard) are sown in a leaf-lined basket kept in a dark room of the house. By festival day, the seedlings grow several inches tall. The green shoots (harela) are plucked and placed behind the ears and on the heads of family members as a blessing for prosperity. Clay idols of Shiva, Parvati, Ganesha, Kartikeya, and Nandi (known as Dikare) are made and worshipped. Trees are planted across the community. The Uttarakhand government has promoted Harela as a tree-planting festival, with millions of saplings planted on this day. The festival reflects the ecological consciousness inherent in Pahadi culture.