Phool Dei, a spring festival in which young girls place flowers at the doorsteps of homes, is celebrated mainly in:

Phool Dei is a spring and harvest festival of Uttarakhand, celebrated in both the Garhwal and Kumaon regions. It is celebrated on the first day of the Hindu month of Chaitra, which falls in mid-March, and it welcomes the arrival of spring and the blooming of flowers in the hills.

Phool Dei is a festival of children, especially young girls. On the morning of the festival, girls go to the forests and fields to collect fresh spring flowers, such as the yellow flowers of the "phyonli", rhododendron (buransh), and other wild flowers. They put the flowers and rice in baskets or plates and go from house to house in the village, placing the flowers and rice at the doorsteps (dehli) of each home. As they do this, they sing traditional songs, such as "Phool Dei, Chhamma Dei, Deni Dwar, Bhar Bhakar", which bless the household with prosperity, happiness and plenty of food. In return, the families give the children sweets, jaggery, rice and money as gifts. In some areas, the festival continues for the whole month of Chaitra.

The festival expresses the close relationship of the people of the hills with nature and the changing seasons. It also helps to teach children about the importance of flowers, plants and community life. A special dish called "sayei", made from rice flour, curd and jaggery, is prepared in many homes.

Other festivals of Uttarakhand include Harela (a festival of greenery and the planting of trees, in July), Ghee Sankranti or Olgia, Uttarayani (at Makar Sankranti, with the famous fair at Bageshwar), Nanda Devi Raj Jat (a pilgrimage held about once every 12 years) and the Kumbh Mela at Haridwar.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Himachal Pradesh celebrates festivals such as Phulaich and the Kullu Dussehra.
• ✗Sikkim celebrates Buddhist festivals such as Saga Dawa and Losoong.
• ✗Jammu and Kashmir celebrates festivals such as Navreh and the Tulip Festival.