Community Stories-3

Why Do Kukretis of Jaspur-Gweel Not Celebrate Bagwal (Chhoti Diwali) ?
Bhishma Kukreti

In Garhwal, Bagwal (Chhoti Diwali/Deepawali) or Chaturdashi is more important than Badi diwali or Amavasya . Kukretis of two villages Jaspur and Gweel of Malla Dhangu, Salan Pauri Garhwal do not celebrate Bagwal as other Garhwalis celebrate bagwal.
In Garhwal, each Garhwali family celebrates bagwal with enthusiasm and full devotion as Badi Diwali. On Bagwal morning , each family will prepare Puri, Lagdee, Swala, Bhuda, Pakwada and will distribute in the village to those whose Diwali is not there because of Barjat (Mourning year due to death in family) . The Garhwali families also cook pendo - Chwal, Jhangora and Badi in morning .The children will go to nearest jungle to pluck flowers. Before noon the family members will make small balls of rice, jhangora and badi . On top of each ball of Pendo flowers are inserted . Then flowered Pendo is put on big vessel like Parat . The family members go to their Gushala , put oil on the horns of domestic animals and offer ball by ball of pendo to each caw/calves /bulls buffalos etc. After, this ceremony, animals are taken to grasslands. If there is mourning in any mundeet , other families of village will offer pendo to their animals.
In night, as usual, all burn diye earthen lamps .
Next day, on badi diwali the people of Garhwal offer pendo to their animals in Gaushala only.
However, Kukretis of Jaspur and Gweel do not celebrate Bagwal except burning earthen lamps in night. Jaspur is the original village of Kukretis and was established around in thirteenth or fourteenth century. Gweel village is established around 1820 that is after British took over Garhwal from Gorkhas. Kukretis of Jaspur establish Gweel . It is said that around two hundred years back, one of our elder person died on the Bagwal and Kukretis of Jaspur -Gweel stopped celebrating Bagwal. Bahugunas of Jaspur used to provide all Kukreti’s animals pendo on Bagwal and still they do so .
On one Godhan, (padiva after amavasya) one child was born in one Kukreti family and Kukreti started celebrating Godhan instead of Bagwal. We Kukretis of Jaspur-Gweel celebrate in the same fashion, enthusiasm, colorful ways as other Garhwalis celebrate Bagwal except that we Kukretis of both villages offer Pendo to our animals in forest or grass land and not in Gaushala on Godhan day . Kukretis of Jaspur offer pendo to animals of those Bahuguna who offered pendo to our animals on Bagwal. Kukretis of Jaspur also distribute Swala -Pakwada /bhuda to each Bahuguna family on Godhan .
Kukretis of both villages celebrate Amavasya’s diwali in same fashion as other Garhwalis celebrate
This is the community story of Kukretis of Jaspur-Gweel about celebrating Goadhan and not Bagwal

Copyright @ Bhishma Kukreti, Mumbai, India, 2009