About Harela
The Shravan Harela, celebrated in the Hindu calendar month of Shravan, marks the onset of the rainy season (Monsoon). Harela means "Day of Green". It is considered to be an auspicious day for farmers, as it is the day when they begin the sowing cycle in their fields.
It is celebrated by people from the Kumaon region of the state of Uttarakhand. According to popular belief, the day marks the religious celebration of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati’s wedding. The village communities make clay idols of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. These are known as Dikare or Dikars.
The festival is celebrated with prayers for good harvest and prosperity.
In 2020, Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat approved the proposal to declare July 16th as a public holiday. In the ongoing calendar of annual holidays the state government has declared an unrestricted holiday on Harela.
The Chief Minister had directed to do extensive plantations simultaneously in the entire state on a single day. For this, a proposal was made to convert unrestricted leave on Harela into a public holiday. Now every year there will be a public holiday on Harela festival.
The Chief Minister said that Harela festival connects people with nature and the environment. Protection of the environment has been in the culture of Uttarakhand. By declaring public holiday on Harela festival, all the people of the state will be able to participate in the plantation. He said that the plants to be planted on Harela will also be maintained. Every year a large number of plantations together is a big step towards environmental protection.
