Folk Gods of Uttarakhand

“The folk gods of Kumaon and Garhwal are living legends, connecting the people of Uttarakhand to their rich heritage and ancestral pride.”

Nestled amidst the towering peaks of the Himalayas, Uttarakhand is not just a land of natural beauty but also a treasure trove of rich cultural and spiritual heritage. Divided into the two major regions of Kumaon and Garhwal, this state has nurtured unique traditions that reflect the ethos of its people. Among these, the worship of folk gods stands out as a remarkable facet of the region’s culture, blending mythology, history, and spirituality.

The Heart of Folk Worship in Uttarakhand

Uttarakhand’s folk religion is deeply intertwined with the lives of its people. While Lord Shiva, Maa Shakti, and other traditional Hindu gods hold a prominent place in the hearts of the locals, the worship of folk gods carries a distinct charm. These deities often emerge from tales of valor, sacrifice, and natural elements, embodying the spirit of the land and its people.

Folk gods are celebrated through rituals such as jagar, a traditional ballad that recounts the heroic deeds of these deities, and peak, a spiritual form of poetic expression. These practices go beyond mere worship; they serve as cultural narratives, connecting the present to the past and teaching timeless values.

Folk Gods of Kumaon: The Heroes of the Hills

The Kumaon region boasts a vibrant tradition of folk worship. The heroes and mythological figures who once walked the earth have been elevated to the status of gods, their stories immortalized through songs and rituals.

The people of Kumaon revere:

• Kul Devatas (Family Gods): These deities are believed to safeguard families, offering protection and blessings unique to each lineage.
• Gram Devatas (Village Gods): Guardians of entire villages, they are invoked to ensure the community’s prosperity and safety.
• Veer Devatas (Brave Heroes): Revered warriors, honored for their courage and sacrifice, elevated to divine status.
• Naga Devatas (Snake Gods): Symbolizing respect for bravery and nature’s forces, the worship of Naga Devatas signifies reverence for natural harmony.
• Bhumi Devatas (Land Gods): These deities reflect the agrarian roots of the region, honoring the earth for its life-sustaining bounty.

A particularly unique tradition in Kumaon is the worship of Yaksha, mystical guardians of forests and mountains, reflecting the region’s deep respect for nature.

Folk Gods of Garhwal: Protectors of the Spirit and Land

The Garhwal region shares a similar reverence for folk deities, with its own unique customs and narratives. These deities are revered as symbols of protection, resilience, and spiritual strength, mirroring the rugged terrain and the tenacious spirit of the Garhwali people.

The people of Garhwal worship:

• Gram Devatas (Village Guardians): Local deities who are believed to shield entire villages from misfortune.
• Kul Devatas (Family Protectors): These gods are venerated as the spiritual anchors of families, offering guidance and blessings.
• Veers (Warrior Heroes): Like Kumaon, Garhwal honors its brave souls, ensuring their legacy is preserved through divine veneration.
• Bhairav Devtas (Fierce Protectors): Often linked to Lord Shiva, they symbolize ferocity and justice, protecting the people from harm.

The jagar rituals in Garhwal are a particularly enthralling cultural experience, combining music, dance, and storytelling to invoke the gods and celebrate their heroic deeds.

Naina Devi

In the northern end of the well-known Nainital Lake, is where is this famous Shakti Peeth, Naina Devi Temple is situated. Naina Devi Temple is located at an elevation of more than 6800 feet. The deity of the temple is Goddess Naina Devi. The Temple is represented by the two eyes of the Devi. Naina Devi Temple is attractive to thousands of devotees each year. Naina Devi is Goddess Parvati’s name. The queen of Katyuri that is Jiya Rani, had
established Naina Devi in Kumaon, according to the Jagars. According to a myth, by jumping into a sacrificial fire, Sati had committed suicide, and Sati had killed herself because of her father Dakshaprajapati insulting her and Lord Shiva, during a yagna where Lord Shiva and Sati were not invited. The myth continues and it is known that, while Sati’s body was being carried away by Lord Shiva, Sati’s eye had fallen down. Sati’s eye had fallen down at a location which was near the Pashan Devi Temple in Nainital. Therefore, according to mythology, Goddess Parvati herself is Naina Devi. The rebirth of Sati as Parvati is what the story is all about.

Gangnath

Similar to the story of Bholanath is Gangnath’s story. The king of Doti in Western Nepal had a son and his name wad Gangnath. When Gangnath had fallen in love with a Joshi Brahmin lady whose name was Bhana, Gangnath had fought with his own father and then Gangnath had exited his house. A blacksmith had murdered Gangnath whom, Bhana’s father or husband had hired to kill Gangnath. When people started to be harmed by Gangnath, Gangnath and Bhana started to be worshipped by the people. The stories of the love affair between Gangnath and Bhana is frequently told by the Kumaon region’s Jagar singers. There is the presence of the Gangnath temples in every area of Kumaon.

Bholanath

The most famous and the most admired folk God of Kumaon is Bholanath. An incarnation of Lord Shiva is what Bholanath is known to be. The Chand King known as Udai Chand had two sons and instead of giving his elder son the kingdom, he had disinherited him because he had lots of bad habits and had given the kingdom to his younger son, according to what legend has to say. The elder sob wandered for a long time and finally he had settled down near Almora, after returning back with his wife who was pregnant. The king had ordered the execution of both of the people. The elder son, his pregnant wife, and their unborn child turned into ghosts and people began to worship them. At Champawat, the original temple of Bholanath is situated.

Nanda Devi

Nanda Devi is the name of the Greek Goddess ‘Nana’ who came with the Kushan Kings and the Indo-Greeks to the Himalayas. However, it is still factual that Nanda Devi is a typical goddess of Kumaon and she is most famous in Kumaon.
With reference to the famous religious myths and adages which are associated with Uttaranchal, it is said by E.T. Atkinson that according to the beliefs of the majority of the Hindus, what Palestine means for the Christian, that is what Kumaon (Himalaya) is.

Airy

The one whose eyes are known to be on the top of his head, who is worshipped like the god called Shani, is known as Airy. The attendants of Airy called “Sau” and “Bhau” are known to have ridden on dogs. It is known that Airy takes care of animals and thus he is worshipped in that form. Even though there are several temples of Airy in Kumaon, the main temple of Airy is known to be at Byandhura.

Kail Bisht

It is known that Kail Bisht is a generous folk god. This god plays flute and his temple is near Binsar. The story plays out like this – false reports were given to Shrikrishna Pandey regarding a love affair between a brave shepherd of the Rajputs known as Kallu (Kail Bisht) and Shrikrishna Pandey’s wife. When the matter was brought before the king, the king refused to execute Kail Bisht because he had seen the mark of a trident on the forehead of Kail Bisht and the mark if a kadamb flower on Kail Bisht’s feet. However, Kallu was deceptively murdered later on.

Haru

The name of a famous king of Champawat is Harish Chandra. After his death, he was worshipped as the folk god called Haru. Kainar was Haru’s mother’s name and Gwall’s maternal uncle is known to be Haru. The gods of boundaries known as Haru and Saim are generally found to be together. Besides these folk gods, many other folk gods are worshipped in the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand. Some examples of those folk gods are – Bhumia, Nagnath, Narsingh, Bhandari Golla, Balchan, Badhan, Gabla, Lataul, Churmal, and many more. The popular folk goddesses are Ujyali and Anyari. In the cremation grounds, the Garh Devis are found, and they are worshipped on the new moon night or, on the night of Amavasya. Even though Ramol, Bafaul, Sangram Karki, are known to be folk heroes, they do not get treated like the gods.

Chaumu

The worshipping of this god as the protector of animals, is done especially in the Jhulaghat-Pancheswar region. A story about a man with a Shivlinga in his turban, who was going to Champawat, is known. On stopping to drink, he had put his turban on the road, but it was not possible for him to pick it up again. Later on, this area started to be worshipped by the people. In the temples of Chaumu at Chamdeval (Pulla, Champawat), at Chaupakhia (Wadda, Pithoragarh), at Pancheswar, at Dhamkuri, at Thathgaon (Almora), at Santola (all in Nepal), and at Surar, bells as well as milk are offered. Basically, these are the grounds of the seven brothers. The principal seat of Chaumu is Chamdeval.

Gwalla

The other names of Gwalla are Golla or Golu or Gorilla. In the honour of Gwalla, flags and banners are hung up over several temples. Gwalla temples are located at Chitai, Ghorakhal, and Champawat. The temple located at Chitai is the most popular among the others. In the story about Gwalla, the local king had sent his servants to look for water while he was hunting. A praying woman was disturbed by the servants. In a fit of anger, the king was taunted by the woman and she had said that the king was incapable of separating two fighting bulls and thus she had to proceed to do so herself. The king found it impressive and he married that lady. After the Queen had conceived a son, the other queens who were envious of her, had replaced the child with a pumpkin and had put the child in a cage and then they had put the cage in the water. A fisherman had taken the responsibility of the child. After the boy had grown up, he had taken a horse made out of wood to the river and when the queens had questioned him, he had replied that if pumpkins can be birthed by women then water can be drank by wooden horses. After the king got to know about this, the guilty queens were punished and the boy was crowned and that boy came to be known as Gwalla Devata.

Narsingh Devta

Lord Vishnu’s fourth incarnation which is the Narsimha avatar, who had appeared in the form of half a lion and half a man, is the deity of the Narsingh temple. In Joshimath, the Narsingh temple is located in its Lower Bazaar area. Narsingh temple is a famous temple in Joshimath. Narsingh Badri temple is the other name of the Narsingh temple because it is a well-known part of Sapt Badri. I’m Joshimath, it is a sacred place where one can visit. Lord Narsimha appeared on the earth in order to protect his devotee Prahlad from his evil father Hiranyakashipu. The Narsingh Devta temple is dedicated to him. The Narsingh Devta temple is also known as Jyotirmath.

Bhairavnath

Situated at the south of the Kedarnath temple, Bhairavnath temple is also known as Bhairon Baba Mandir. Bhairavnath temple is located in Uttarakhand at the eastern hill of the Himalayas. The Bhairavnath temple is dedicated to Lord Bhairav who is the fierce form of Lord Shiva who is responsible for devastation and destruction. Bhairavnath Temple is situated on a hillock towards northern side of the Kedarnath Temple, at a distance of 500 m from Kedarnath Temple. Bhairavnath Temple is one of the most popular temples in Kedarnath after Kedarnath temple. This temple is dedicated to God Bhairav the main gana of Lord Shiva. The weapon of the Lord is a Trishula and his vahan is a dog. The deity of the temple is also known as Kshetrapal or the guardian of the region. According to legend, the deity in Bhairavnath temple protects the main temple area as well as the whole Kedarnath valley, when Kedarnath Temple closes during winter months due to heavy snow fall. The trekking distance from Kedarnath temple to Bhairavnath Temple around is 500 meters. The magnificent beauty of Kedarnath Temple and entire Kedarnath Valley is found in this place.

Kali

Shakti Sidhpeeth Kalimath Mandir is situated in Rudraprayag. The gods and goddesses live in the mountains, according to the Hindu mythology. The hill state of Uttarakhand is therefore called Dev Bhoomi. There are several temples whose mystery has not been solved till date. One such is the Sidhpeeth Kalimath mandir in Rudraprayag. The unlimited ‘Shaktipunj’ of Mother Bhagwati is known to be present at the height of Devbhoomi or Uttarakhand. In the Rudraprayag districts of Uttarakhand which is the Garhwal Division, the Kalimath mandir is situated.

About eight kilometres away, Kalishila is found after a steep climb. All sins are washed off just by the sight of Maa Bhagwati, who is known to destroy the wicked. Maa Kali provides good people with rewards and punishes the evil. According to beliefs, even today, Maa Kali has her eyes fixed on her devotees. Even though there are several temples of Maa Kali, the Shakti Sidhpeeth Kalimath Mandir which is located in the Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand is a temple where Maa Kali known to reside herself.

The folk gods of Uttarakhand, whether from Kumaon or Garhwal, are more than divine figures; they are cultural icons that embody the spirit of this Himalayan state. Their worship reflects the deep bond between the people and their land, celebrating the values of bravery, resilience, and harmony with nature. In the songs of jagar and the stories of peak, these deities continue to live on, guiding the people of Uttarakhand and enriching the cultural legacy of this enchanting region. Through the folk gods, the past and present merge, offering a timeless connection to heritage, spirituality, and the divine.