Phool Dei

It’s a prominent festival of Uttarakhand that marks the arrival of spring, the season when flowers bloom, and new leaves begin to grow. The name itself carries a beautiful meaning. Phool means flowers, and Dei means doorway or gate.

The festival is celebrated around the 15th March every year, which is considered the beginning of a new month in the local calendar of Uttarakhand.

So on the day of the Phool Dei, children (elderly can also participate, but it is mostly children) of the village go door to door, with a plate of lots of newly bloomed flowers and some rice and jaggery.

On the day of Phool Dei, children of the village, though elderly, may also participate and go from door to door, carrying plates filled with freshly bloomed flowers, along with rice and jaggery. At each household, they place flowers, rice, and jaggery at the entrance and sing a traditional song-

“Phool dei, chamma dei, jantuke daila, utuke sahi, deni dwar, bhar bhakaar, ye dhei ke barambaar namaskaar”,

This song is a form of blessing, wishing prosperity, happiness, and abundance for the family.

In return, the households offer grains, traditionally rice and jaggery, though nowadays people also give money.

In the evening, families prepare Prasad using the rice and jaggery collected during the day, making the celebration both communal and meaningful.

Interestingly, when we (Udhyam) were finalizing the name for our women’s collective, “Phool Dei” was one of the options. However, it had already been taken by other enterprises. Even so, the spirit of the festival, spreading joy, blessings, and togetherness, continues to inspire.