Rhyali festival is an important festival of Shimla, Himachal Pradesh. It is celebrated during the rainy season in order to keep the rain God happy. The rains play a key role as most people of Shimla depend on agriculture to earn their livelihood. They believe that if rain God is happy then their agricultural produce will not get affected. The festival is celebrated on the first of Shravan (July). This is a formal announcement of the arrival of the monsoons in Shimla.
Rituals of Rhyali Festival
Several rituals are performed as a part of Rhyali festival. The traditional ceremony starts with the sowing of seeds of five to seven different crops like wheat, barley, etc. around ten days before the official date of the celebration. This ritual is usually performed by the head of a family or a priest. The seeds are sown in a small basket that is filled with earth. The basket is placed near the household or a place where the idols of Gods are kept.
A mock wedding is organized a day before the actual celebration. The wedding signifies the holy marriage of Lord Shiva and Parvati. Clay statues of the Gods are placed near the saplings and the place is cleaned properly. The devotees make offerings of fruits and flowers. The priest chants prayers and prays for the everlasting greenery and fertility of the fields. This is followed by some more rituals after which the ceremony finally ends.
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