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Kya Such Me Pariyan Hoti Hain: Dense forest, silence, sound of drums and suddenly someone speaking in a changed voice… In the mountains of Kumaon, fairies are not considered just a story. People here still believe that there are spirits living in the forests, who, when angry, make them sick and when happy, fulfill their wishes. From scaring people by saying “Pari Lag Gayi” in childhood to coming into the body while waking up, this mystery is still alive. After all, who are Adi-Anchari, why do people still worship them in the forests and why is it said that they cannot be seen, but are definitely felt? Let us know in details.
In the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand, fairies are also called Edi-Anchari or Aanchari, they are still considered the guardian spirits of the forests. In many villages, this belief has been going on for generations that fairies live amidst dense forests, deserted mountain slopes and quiet valleys. If children fall or get scared while playing in the forest, then people say that “the fairy has fallen in love” or “the fairy has fallen in love.” This is not just a scary sentence, but a belief ingrained in the public mind. This faith has made its own place in the hill culture, songs and jagars. And they have been invoked in Jagars for centuries.
Like many villages of Kumaon, the childhood of children in Farsali village of Bageshwar district has been associated with fairy tales. The mothers of this village used to explain to their children that climbing tall trees, shouting loudly or doing mischief in the forest can anger the fairies of the forest and used to scare them by saying that they will get attacked by fairies. If this was the case then coconuts etc. would have to be given at the crossroads to please the fairy as per the special method of worship of Kumaon. After which improvement was seen in the health of the child, this practice is still prevalent in Kumaon.
In Kumaon, Eddi is considered a male form and things like flute, stick, gun and Timur branch are offered in his worship. Whereas Aanchari is seen in a female form, to whom white clothes, flowers, make-up items, sandalwood and dishes made of milk are offered. It is believed that Aanchari distributes the offered kheel-khaja with her ‘family’. This tradition reflects the cultural understanding of the time, when people felt a deep spiritual connection between nature, supernatural forces, and daily life.
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For the puja, the villagers choose a secluded place surrounded by dense trees, where the ‘house’ of Eri-Anchari is built with three stones. These stones are decorated with white, yellow and red clothes. During the puja, offerings are made and it is believed that the fairies sit at the same place and accept the food. Many families organize Jagar here every two-three years or after the fulfillment of their vow. The peace, sweet tunes and lamp light spread in these forests make this tradition even more mysterious.
Jagar in Kamaun is not just worship, but a spiritual experience. In this, it is believed that on the beat of Dhol-Damaun, Eri-Aanchari take ‘Avatar’ in a person’s body and dance and sing. People say that this is the entry of divine power, which listens to the wishes of its devotees. In Jagar, when a person who is incarnate says, “My stomach is full, I am happy,” it is believed that this goddess or angel herself is speaking. This tradition is still alive in most of the mountain villages and every Jagar holds many secrets with itself.
Along with Eri-Anchari, Aan-Ban, who are considered their servants, are also worshipped. Among these, red, yellow, black and white bands are most prominent. Their nature is considered different, red ban is considered the most angry and powerful, black ban is scary, and yellow-white is considered relatively calm. Hunting, lemon and half-cooked khichdi are considered important in their food. Folktale says that when the red flag ‘climbs’ on someone, it becomes difficult to handle him. The story of these arrows makes this tradition of the mountains even more mysterious.
