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The Halda festival of the Lahaul valley in Himachal Pradesh is primarily celebrated by which community?
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Answer: Option A — Buddhist community
Detailed Solution
Halda is a festival celebrated mainly by the Buddhist community of the Lahaul valley in the Lahaul and Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh. It is celebrated in January, in the middle of the cold winter, and marks the beginning of the new year according to the local tradition, like Losar.
Halda is a festival of lights, and it is sometimes compared to Diwali. On the evening of the festival, the members of each family light torches made from the branches of the cedar (deodar) or pencil cedar tree. Carrying the burning torches, they go out in a procession to a chosen place, where all the torches of the village are thrown into a large bonfire. This ritual is believed to drive away evil spirits and misfortune and to bring prosperity and good luck in the new year. The festival is dedicated to Shiskar Apa, a goddess of wealth and prosperity, who is worshipped during the celebration. The festival is followed by celebrations, feasts and visits to family and friends, with the local drink chhang being shared. The exact date of Halda is fixed by the lamas (Buddhist priests), according to the lunar calendar.
The Lahaul valley lies between the Pir Panjal and the Great Himalayan ranges, and is separated from the Kullu valley by the Rohtang Pass. The Atal Tunnel, opened in 2020, now connects the valley to the rest of the state throughout the year. The people of the valley follow a mixture of Buddhist and Hindu traditions. Important monasteries of the region include Kardang, Shashur and Guru Ghantal, and the Key Monastery and Tabo Monastery are in the nearby Spiti valley. Tabo Monastery, founded in 996 CE, is one of the oldest continuously functioning Buddhist monasteries in India.
Other festivals of the Lahaul valley include Gochi (celebrating the birth of sons, in February) and Phagli (welcoming the new year and spring).
Why not the other options?
- ✗Sikh community celebrates Gurpurab and Baisakhi.
- ✗Jain community celebrates Paryushana and Mahavir Jayanti.
- ✗Parsi community celebrates Navroz and Khordad Sal.
Quick tip
Remember: Halda = the Buddhists of the Lahaul valley (Himachal Pradesh), January, the burning of cedar torches and the goddess Shiskar Apa.
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Festivals & Fairs of India — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Festivals & Fairs of India, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers the religious, harvest, tribal and cultural festivals of India, the fairs (melas) held across the country, and the states, communities and seasons linked to them. It also includes festivals listed by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage, such as Kumbh Mela and Durga Puja in Kolkata. Most questions ask which state celebrates a festival, which tribe it belongs to, or what event it marks. Harvest festivals are especially common: Pongal (Tamil Nadu), Onam (Kerala), Bihu (Assam), Lohri and Baisakhi (Punjab) and Nuakhai (Odisha). Fairs such as the Pushkar camel fair (Rajasthan) and the Sonepur cattle fair (Bihar) are also frequently tested. Revise festivals state by state. Practise the festivals and fairs questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.