Raulane Festival: Himachal’s 5,000-year-old ritual that honours fairies

New Delhi: At the high altitude in Himachal Pradesh’s Kinnaur, when winter snow covers the valleys and the air grows thin, a deep-rooted tradition takes place – the Raulane Festival. Locals believe in ethereal mountain spirits called Sauni, who guard the region during the harshest cold. To send them off at the end of the season, two men dress in elaborate traditional attire, don masks, and take on the symbolic roles of a bride and groom. They become Raula and Raulane, bridging the human world and the realm of the fairies.

Their slow, symbolic dance at the Nagin Narayan temple becomes a ritual of gratitude, a subtle way for villagers to convey their gratitude. This festival is not a performance for tourists. It’s an intimate ceremony rooted in faith, folklore, and the landscape’s quiet power. Through this ritual, the community honours its protectors, preserves a 5,000-year-old belief, and celebrates its deep connection with nature. Read more about this festival.

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1. Sauni fairy worshipping

The Sauni are the fairy-like mountain spirits worshipped by the people of Kinnaur, believed to descend into the valleys during winter.

2. Two chosen men for symbolic roles

Two chosen men play Raula or groom and Raulane or bride. Both cover their faces with masks and wear heavy woollen garments to represent spiritual figures.

3. Procession to Nagin Narayan temple

The couple leads a procession to the Nagin Narayan temple, surrounded by the community, carrying out slow, deliberate dance steps as part of the ritual.

4. Masked dance

Their masked dance is believed to open a channel between human beings and the Sauni spirits, acting as a form of silent communication.

5. Spiritual ceremony

The festival is not just a cultural performance for villagers, it’s a deeply spiritual ceremony done for their ancestors, their livestock, their crops and for the Sauni guardians.

6. Gratitude to Sauni fairies

At the end of the festival, the villagers express gratitude through rituals and request the Sauni fairies to return in the coming years as they depart for their celestial abodes.

The Raulane Festival of Himachal remains a rare window into a living tradition — one that blends myth, devotion and community in a remote Himalayan setting.