Raipur : Delhiites get a glimpse of Chhattisgarh’s culture and festival

Chhattisgarh comes alive at Delhi’s Lutyens’ zone where a traditional festival of the state was celebrated with great pomp and show. Hareli, the agricultural festival of Chhattisgarh, was celebrated at the Chhattisgarh Bhawan as part of Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel initiative of preserving the state’s culture and tradition and passing it on to the next generation.

Hareli is the folk festival of love and dedication towards natureThe aroma of Chhattisgarhi delicacies and the foot-tapping music of traditional folk songs filled the air with festivities that connected the people with the state’s vast culture.

Hareli is the folk festival of love and dedication towards nature

The chief minister said that the main objective behind such celebrations is to connect people especially the youth with their tradition and culture, so that people can feel proud of the rich cultural heritage, local festivals and traditions of Chhattisgarh.

During the celebration, the visitors enthusiastically participated in the traditional game of climbing ‘Gendi’. ‘Gendi’ (long bamboo poles with a footrest) requires a lot of concentration and balance. On the other hand the game also gives us the message of becoming physically and mentally healthy.

The people of Chhattisgarh settled in Delhi also appreciated the Chief Minister’s initiative and said that such events keep them close to their culture and tradition even when they are far away from their native state. People gathered in large numbers at the Bhawan and relished the traditional dishes of Chhattisgarh. They enjoyed the cultural programs and folk songs of Chhattisgarh.

The folk festival of ‘Hareli’ shows the importance of agricultural tradition and environment. It is considered to be the first festival of the year in the region. After the sowing of paddy, the farmers worship all the agricultural and iron tools on the day of Hareli and pray for good harvest and health.
The special dish of this festival is ‘cheela’, chausela, kheer etc. made of rice, which is distributed as prasad. On the day of Hareli, there is a tradition of men making a Gedi (made of bamboo) and climbing on it.
Chhattisgarh Resident Commissioner Ajeet Vasant and other dignitaries were present at the occasion.