A festival of great religious and historical importance at Jageshwar.
Nanda Devi Mahotsav (Almora)
The best known fair of the region, held since the Chand kings ruled; the Nanda temple at Almora, built by Dyot Chanda in the seventeenth century, is its centre and the festival runs five days. The Pithoragarh district page records Nanda Devi fairs at Almora, Nainital, Kot (Dangoli) and villages of Johar such as Milam and Martoli.
Syalde Bikhauti Mela (Almora)
Held at Dwarahat on Vishuwat Sankranti to mark an ancient victory, with music, songs and dances. The Bageshwar district page adds that on this day fairs are held at Dwarahat, Syalde, Chaugar and Lohakhai.
Uttarayani Mela (Bageshwar)
One of the largest fairs of the Kumaon region, held for a week; a holy dip is taken in the rivers at Bageshwar on Makar Sankranti. Nainital district also records an Uttaraini Mela at Chitrashila near Ranibag on Makar Sankranti.
Nanda Devi Raj Jat (Chamoli)
A religious journey described by the district as one of the few famous cultural events of Uttarakhand, held about once in twelve years; the district page records that the last Jat was in 2014. No official page giving the route or a date for the next Jat was found.
Devidhura Mela (Bagwal) (Champawat)
Held at the Varahi temple at Devidhura; the Bagwal is practised on the day of Raksha Bandhan. Uttarakhand Tourism records that in 2013 the High Court directed that the stones thrown in the Bagwal be replaced with flowers and fruit.
Purnagiri Mela (Champawat)
Devotees visit the Purnagiri temple through the year and in very large numbers during Chaitra Navratri; the temple is 20 km from Tanakpur.
Bissu Mela (Dehradun)
Held at the Jhanda ground in Chakrata; it reflects the culture of the Jaunsari tribe and marks the harvesting season, drawing people from Tehri, Uttarkashi and Saharanpur. Uttarakhand Tourism records that a Bissu fair is also held at the Santoora Devi temple near Kempty, about 5 km from Mussoorie, in Chaitra.
Jhanda Mela (Dehradun)
Held at the historic Guru Ram Rai Darbar in Dehradun; it begins with a new flag (jhanda) being raised, and draws devotees from Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh. The Dehradun district page says the fifth day after Holi; the Uttarakhand Tourism page says the sixth. Both are official; the district figure is used here.
Laxman Siddha Fair (Dehradun)
A local religious fair held every Sunday, about 10 km from Dehradun on the Rishikesh road, with the last Sunday of April of special significance.
Mahasu Devta Fair (Jagda) (Dehradun)
Held at Hanol, when Mahasu Devta is taken out in procession and musical prayers continue for three days and nights. The two official pages give different distances to Hanol (120 km on the Chakrata–Tyuni road; 95 km from Chakrata), so no distance is given here.
Tapkeshwar Mela (Dehradun)
Thousands of devotees gather at the Tapkeshwar temple, about 5 km from the bus stand, to offer prayers.
Kanwar Yatra (Haridwar)
An annual pilgrimage in which devotees of Shiva, the kanwariyas, fetch water from the Ganga at Haridwar, Gaumukh or Gangotri and carry it home, mostly walking barefoot.
Kumbh Mela at Haridwar (Haridwar)
The Kumbh is held every twelve years; the district page records that more than 10 million devotees gathered at Haridwar during the 2003 Kumbh.
Binsar Mela (Pauri Garhwal)
A two-day fair at the Bindeswer Mahadev temple between the Chauthan Patti and Dhoodatoli forests, drawing people from Pauri, Chamoli, Almora and Rudraprayag.
Gindi Mela (Pauri Garhwal)
On Makar Sankranti, Gindi fairs are held at places such as Dadamandi and Thalnadi, where two teams of villagers play for a ball on open ground.
Vaikunth Chaturdashi Mela (Pauri Garhwal)
Held at the Kamleshwar Mahadev temple in Srinagar; once a single-day fair in the temple campus, it now runs five days under the Nagar Palika.
Chhipla Jaat (Pithoragarh)
People of 15 to 20 villages of the Dharchula and Gorikhal regions reach Kedardwe and Najurikote every third year; the main yatra starts from village Khela near Tawaghat.
Hilljatra (Pithoragarh)
A festival of pastoralists and farmers that came to the Pithoragarh valley from west Nepal; it is associated with ropai (paddy transplantation) and is an elaborate masquerade in the open.
Jauljibi and Thal Fairs (Pithoragarh)
Primarily trade fairs, which have sustained the folk culture and have been central to the economic life of the district. The district page names these two fairs as trade fairs but prints no month, duration or venue for either.
Kandali Festival (Pithoragarh)
Celebrated in the Chaudans region when the Kandali flower (Strobilenthes wallichii) blooms, which happens once in twelve years; the Shauka or Rang people keep the week-long festival in different villages. The district page was written earlier and says the flower last bloomed in 1999 and would next bloom in 2011; the state tourism page says it last bloomed in 2011. Neither gives a later date, so no current year is shown.
Baishakhi Fair (Rudraprayag)
Celebrated in the Mandakini valley at places such as Agastyamuni, Phegu and Talatoli, when the sun enters Aries.
Hariyali Devi Mela (Rudraprayag)
Held every year at the Hariyali Devi temple.
Madhmaheshwar Mela (Rudraprayag)
Held at Ukhimath when the doli of Madhmaheshwar, the second Kedar, reaches the Omkareshwar temple after the winter migration.
Anduri Utsav (butter festival) (Uttarkashi)
Held at Raithal to thank Lord Krishna for protecting cattle grazing in the meadows of Dayara Bugyal; people smear each other with butter, milk and buttermilk.
Magh Mela (Uttarkashi)
Named by the district administration among the religious fairs of Uttarakhand, alongside the Sainik Mela and the Krishi Mela. The district page names the fair but prints no month, duration or venue.
Ganga Dussehra and an Ardh Kumbh at Haridwar are not listed, because no official page describing them was found. Where two government pages disagree — for example whether the Jhanda Mela is on the fifth or sixth day after Holi — the entry says so instead of choosing silently. Checked 26 September 2026.
What to remember for the exam
The Uttarayani Mela (Bageshwar) falls on Makar Sankranti and is one of the largest fairs of Kumaon; the Nanda Devi Mahotsav (Almora) runs five days in September.
The Devidhura Bagwal is held at the Varahi temple on Raksha Bandhan; the Purnagiri fair season is Chaitra Navratri (March–April).
The Jhanda Mela is held at the Guru Ram Rai Darbar in Dehradun just after Holi; the Bissu Mela at Chakrata marks the harvest and the culture of the Jaunsari tribe.
Kandali (Pithoragarh) is kept when the Kandali flower blooms, once in twelve years, and the Nanda Devi Raj Jat is also held about once in twelve years.
Every fact is taken from a government website and its source is listed. Where two official sources differ, both figures are shown.
Practise
10 questions generated from the verified data on this page. Every answer links to its official source.
Frequently asked questions
Which is the biggest fair in Uttarakhand?
The Bageshwar district website calls the Uttarayani Mela one of the largest fairs of the Kumaon region; it runs for a week around Makar Sankranti in January.
Where and when is the Bagwal held?
At the Varahi temple in Devidhura, Champawat district, on the day of Raksha Bandhan. Uttarakhand Tourism records that in 2013 the High Court directed that the stones thrown be replaced with flowers and fruit.
How often is the Nanda Devi Raj Jat held?
About once in twelve years, per the Chamoli district website, which records that the last Jat was in 2014. No official page gives a date for the next one.
Why is the Kandali festival held only once in twelve years?
It follows the flowering of the Kandali plant (Strobilenthes wallichii), which blooms once in twelve years. The festival lasts a week, between August and October.
What is Hilljatra?
A festival of pastoralists and farmers in Pithoragarh that came from west Nepal. It is tied to ropai, the transplanting of paddy, and takes the form of an elaborate masquerade in the open.
Which fairs are trade fairs rather than religious ones?
The Pithoragarh district website describes the Jauljibi and Thal fairs as primarily trade fairs that have been central to the economic life of the district.