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The festival of Deepawali is called Bagwal in Uttarakhand. It has been played for a long time, but then style of celebration has changed with time. Normally, it is celebrated during three days, but in some parts of the State it is celebrated for a month. The first day of Deepawali is known as Chhoti Diwali, which is followed by the main Diwali. On the eleventh day, which happens to be Ekadashi, it is celebrated as Kansi or Igas Bagwal. Let us see how Deepawali is celebrated in Uttarakhand, based on my personal experience.

The preparation for celebrating the festival begins immediately after Durga Puja. First, we look for pine trees to prepare sticks with light locally called ‘Bheylo’. The wood of the pine tree is brought from the forest and it is cut into small pi

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