Jhande Ka Mela of Dehradun

Practices and Rituals
in Module
Published on: 16 November 2018

Kokila Bhandari

Kokila is a designer by training, she attended NIFT where she obtained a masters in Design. She currently works as an Assistant Professor of fashion design with GEHU in Dehradun. She is particularly interested in sustainable design, and has experimented with illustration and developed design collections. She also applies design thinking to traditional textiles and handicrafts.

One of the biggest fairs of northern India, Jhande ka Mela is celebrated on the fifth day after the festival of Holi known as Chaitra Krishna Paksh ki Panchmi in commemoration of the birth anniversary of Guru Ram Rai, who is said to have christened what we today know as the city of Dehradun. This module gives a brief glimpse into the history and present practices associated with the festival.