Kinnaur
Kinnaur is the second least populous district of the state Himachal Pradesh and it is one of the beautiful places from where you can see all clear snow clad mountains including the Kinner Kailash peak. It is the gateway of Spiti district from Shimla side and Kinnaur has its own beautiful energy which can make you come back to this place again and again. So, last year I decided to celebrate Holi in Sangla Valley as I love this festival because of the colors and when you mix it with culture, it becomes magical.
Celebrate Holi In Kinnauri Style
In Kinnaur, Holi (in local Kinnauri language 'Faguli') is not a single day festival, it is a week long celebration in the middle of snow covered peaks. Unlike other places, Kinnaur is a place where people celebrate it with their local music, dance, colors and all the love in the form of Phasur(local wine made up of almonds). I have experienced holi in different parts of this country but in Kinnaur I have seen people playing it without any rowdiness.
So, we decided to take a bus directly from Delhi to Reckong Peo(not a great decision though) and after travelling in the same bus and then in a shared cab to Sangla, it took us 22 hours to reach there and then without even dumping our bags, we directly reached to this beautiful temple where people were celebrating 'Holika Dahan' in their own unique style.
After celebrating the main festival in Sangla, directly move to Kalpa for another one, where few men dressed up as grooms as well as brides and they celebrate it with all the dance, music as well as an act involved, it happens after holi for two days in Kalpa. So, one should not miss this event.
I like how beautifully they mix their culture with all the music and dance around and even in this era, the entire village people celebrate this festival together, which we definitely miss in our respective cities. I don't know why we have lost that charm of togetherness. If you want to enjoy the hospitality of Kinnauri people with their delicious food(buck wheat chapati and vegetables) and Phasur then don't miss this chance to celebrate this festival in Kinnaur.
