Namkhan
| Year | Dates |
|---|---|
| 2023 | To be announced |
| 2024 | To be announced |
Spiti Valley in the laps of the Himalayas in Himachal Pradesh is a beautiful place in India, which has recently gained prominence in the Tourism map of the country. This cold desert with abundance of scenic beauty has in its ambit some unique festivals, traditions and beliefs, which make it unique from the rest of the country. One such festival is the Namkhan Festival. Namkhan Festival is the most popular festival celebrated in Spiti Valley, Himachal Pradesh. Visiting Spiti Valley during the Namkhan Festival time will give you a better experience to enjoy the local life of the people of Spiti Valley, to witness their culture, traditions and rituals, and to have a memorable holiday to be cherished lifelong. The Namkhan Festival is an annual festival celebrated in the month of August.
The day long festival is something which the people of Spiti looks forward to enthusiastically. It is the festival time which brings about a colourful change in the lives of the locals of this cold desert. Namkhan festival is the time when the locals are engaged in fun and merry making, where they are seen in their best clothes, eat the best food and have a great time with friends and family. A beautiful blend of rituals and festivities is seen, and this is a sight which every one enjoys. Today, Spiti Valley has become one of the popular tourist destinations of the country and you see a good number of tourists from other parts of India visiting Spiti during the Namkhan Festival time.
The Namkhan festival takes place at the highland village of Demul. This village is known for its agricultural practices and agricultural abundance. For the people of this village, agriculture is their main livelihood. Demul is also a sustainable village, which makes it all the more alluring for tourists. Inspite of the cold and harsh climate, all efforts are taken by the locals for a good harvest, right from appropriate lighting to hot water to room heating using Solar energy and cultivation of crops and vegetables using Greenhouses and intricate system of irrigation. The festival is held to pray to the Gods for a bountiful harvest. This is basically a pre-harvest festival. The village deity is always revered by the locals in their day-to-day lives, and the Namkhan Festival is a special way to pay homage to the village deity.
Some highlights of the festival
• Celebrations start early in the morning at the monastery courtyard, where people in their best dragon-embossed clothes visit and offer their prayers to the deity.
• On the Namkhan Festival, it is very common to see the locals moving around in their villages on horses or yaks without saddles.
• As fun activity, horse race competitions are held for the whole day. The locals love to participate. A winner is chosen at the end.
• People have fun and merrymaking. Preparing delicious delicacies at home is very common. Roasted barley flour mixed with savoury laddus and thungpa, a breakfast gruel, are common food items served to guests.
• People visit each other’s homes to greet and have food and drink together.
• The festival is open for all. Locals from nearby villages come to celebrate the occasion.
• Tai-Chi dance, a local folk dance around a flagpole, is performed by young artists while the elders enjoy their performances.
• Songs, music, folk dances, chanting create a festive ambience in the entire village.
• The entire village comes to life on this day. The locals gather at open fields, drink, sing, and dance under the open skies.
If you want to enjoy a peaceful holiday in the laps of nature, a visit to Spiti Valley during the Namkhan Festival is a must. Book for Specialized Namkhan Festival, Spiti Valley Tour Package with the best inbound tour operator in India.
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