Summary:
Local villagers used to organize fair and cultural events to entertain traders.” Uttarkashi: The annual week-long magh mela , popularly known as ‘Badahat Ku Tholu’, started at Ramleela Ground in Uttarkashi district headquarters here on the occasion of Makar Sankranti on Monday.The festival was officially inaugurated by zila Panchayat chairman Jashoda Rana.The event now organized every year by the zila panchayat and local administration dates back to many centuries when traders from Tibet participated in the fair and exchanged goods.Devotees took a holy dip in Bhagirathi and offered prayers at Vishwanath and Bhairavnath temples. Dev dolis were then carried to the banks of Ganga.For the opening ceremony, local artistes from Pata, Sangrali, Siror, Mando and Kamar villages performed traditional Raso and Tandi dance.Jay Prakash Rana, cultural activist and president of Samvedna Samuh, said, “In older times, merchants from Tibet came to Uttarkashi to barter gold, yak wool, salt and other products and took vegetables and grains grown by local villagers..