Raithal village in Uttaranchal plays a different holi

Dehra Dun, Aug 17 (UNI) The Anduri or Butter Festival, as it is commonly known, was celebrated today at Raithal village in Uttaranchal's Uttarkashi district.

In this festival, people smear each other with butter and butter milk (Mattha).

More than 550 people including around 100 foreigners and 450 local villagers participated in celebrating the festival in the day.

'Anduri' is associated with the practice of villagers moving to higher altitudes during summer. For four long months, people move with their cattle to high altitudes for pasture. When winter approaches and its time for them to leave the grasslands, the villagers celebrate 'Anduri' to express their gratitude to Mother Earth.

The festival is held every year at Dayara Bugyal (High altitude meadow) located at a height of 3048 mtrs. It is celebrated to thank Lord Krishna for protecting the cattle from the evil forces while they were grazing in the open meadows of Dayara.

It is also celebrated to mark the occasion of Lord Krishna's lifting the Govardhan Pravat to crush the ego of Indra (the rain god).

People of the villages around Raithal travel to Dayara carrying home made butter and butter milk (Mattha). A boy and girl are portrayed as Krishna and Radha. They visit all the Channies (Huts).

The Channies owners and the local villagers apply butter on Krishna and Radha seeking their blessings.

Smearing butter to each other marks the festivity. The people are showered with buttermilk. The festival terminates with cultural show and Raso dance by the village youth.

In a bid to preserve the tradition, the people have constituted ''Dayara Paryatan Utsav Samiti' to host the festival. According to the founder members of the Samiti Deependra Panwar and Ajay Suri, they have stepped forward in support of the festival to promoteeco-tourism as well as introduce rich culture and heritage of Uttaranchal to the world.

UNI LPT PA HT1647