Awakening Folk Gods from Their Dormant Stage in the Central Himalayas

Abstract

There are more than two hundred folk gods and goddesses in the mountains. Among these Naagraja, Nanda Devi, Raj Rajeshwari, Jhali-Bali Devi, Jwalpa, Surkanda, Bhadrakali, Barahi are prominent. Similarly, there are many temples of Golu Devta, Eddi Devta, Bhairav, Narasimha deities In the present time we give more value on the physical and external world and development but very less emphasis on our internal feelings. As we all know that for the betterment of our body, mind and soul the development of our internal feelings and energy must be there. The present paper is regarding the jagar ,which is related to Garhwal and Kumayun regions and it is associated with the imotions and feelings of the local people in terms of their deities. The purpose of jagar is to awaken the local deities for the well-being and get their blessings ..Jagar is a holy ritual carried out in rural areas of entire Uttarakhand and aims to awaken and liberate the deeply ingrained psyche of people. The current study is about how jagar is deeply associated with the local people in the central Himalayas of India.