Igas Bagwal 2026: Uttarakhand's Own Diwali, Eleven Days Later

Eleven days after the rest of India has packed away its Diwali lamps, the villages of Garhwal light them again. Families gather in courtyards, cattle are bathed and garlanded, and after dark young men swing flaming bundles of pinewood in great circles of fire. This is Igas Bagwal, the hills' own Diwali, also called Budhi Diwali (the old Diwali).

When is Igas Bagwal in 2026?

Igas Bagwal 2026 falls on Friday, 20 November 2026, on Devutthana (Prabodhini) Ekadashi of Kartik Shukla paksha, eleven days after Diwali. Some village calendars may mark it a day apart, so check locally if you plan to visit.

In recent years the Uttarakhand government has declared a public holiday for Igas in some years; the decision is made each year, so look for the official notice.

Why do the hills celebrate Diwali late?

Two stories are told, and both are about news arriving late in the mountains.

• The return of Madho Singh Bhandari's army: the most popular story says that a Garhwali army, led by the famous commander Madho Singh Bhandari, was away at war during Diwali. When the soldiers came home victorious about eleven days later, the villages celebrated with a Diwali of their own, and the custom stayed.
• Rama's return: another telling says the news that Lord Rama had returned to Ayodhya reached the remote hills only on Ekadashi, so people lit their lamps then.

These are traditional accounts handed down in songs and village memory rather than recorded history, but they explain why the festival matters so much: it is a homecoming.

What is bhailo?

Bhailo is the heart of Igas: bundles of resin-rich pine (chhilla) or other dry wood, tied with a rope, lit and swung in wide circles after dark. The village gathers in an open field, and as the flaming bundles spin, people sing and dance to the dhol and damau. Children watch from the edges; elders tell the stories of earlier Igas nights.

If you join in, swing bhailo only in open ground, well away from dry grass, haystacks and roofs, and follow the lead of local families.

How is Igas celebrated?

With cattle worship, hill food, folk dances and family visits.

• Cattle puja: cows and oxen are bathed, their horns oiled and garlanded, and they are fed a special meal of grain and jaggery.
• Food: homes fry puri and swala (stuffed puris), lentil pakodas and sweets made with jaggery. Many also cook hill dishes like kafuli and phaanu.
• Dance and song: groups dance in courtyards to the dhol, singing old songs about Madho Singh Bhandari and the gods of the village.
• Homecoming: people who live in Dehradun, Delhi or abroad travel back to their villages, and families visit elders.

Where can you see Igas Bagwal?

Mainly in the villages of Garhwal, in districts like Tehri, Pauri, Chamoli, Rudraprayag and Uttarkashi, and in parts of Kumaon. In towns such as Dehradun, cultural groups organise public Igas events with bhailo and folk music, and Pahari associations celebrate it in Delhi and abroad too.

Visiting Garhwal in late November? Pair it with the quiet, clear views of the hills before winter, or with a trip to Lansdowne in Pauri Garhwal. The state's Foundation Day falls a few days earlier, on 9 November.