Sun, 22 Jan
|Kalap
Annual Kalap Festival 2023
The remote village of Kalap comes alive in January every year with a stirring enactment of the epic Mahabharata through the traditional Pandav Nritya dance performance. This 3-day festival is an unforgettable and unmissable event!
Time & Location
22 Jan 2023, 8:00 am IST – 27 Jan 2023, 3:00 pm IST
Kalap, Kalap, Uttarakhand 249128, India
About the event
About the trip:
Dates: January 22-27, 2023
We welcome you to the Kalap village festival!
Are you ready to immerse yourself in the folklore of the Mahabharata? The village comes alive with festivities that run through the day and night. During the day you can watch the reenactment of the mythological epic, The Mahabharata, in the form of a local folk expression called 'Pandav Nritya', which is unique to the Uttarakhand Himalayas. During the night, our community comes together in a lively pageantry of local songs and dance. This once a year event is a must watch!
This is a special itinerary, that we run for you to experience this unique festival with the community at Kalap!
For three whole winter days, the village is abuzz with activity and we welcome people from villages all around us who come to partake in the festivities.
The 'Pandav Nritya' is a dance form used to depict the life story and experiences of the Pandavas, one of the two protagonists in the Mahabharata. This dance-theatre form is unique to the Garhwal himalayas. different incidents from the Mahabharata are performed by the dancers who play the role of the Pandavas and Draupadi. The dance is performed during the day in a large open courtyard in the village so that a number of people can comfortably see it and many dancers can perform together. The dance is started by lighting a big fire, which is kept going till the festivities end.
Through the night, in our village's community hall, people from the village gather to sing local folk songs and dance. The dance begins at about 10 pm in the cold night and people keep going till 5 am. It is a sight to be seen and we will teach you all the right dance moves.
We will be making a lot of local food items and sweet dishes for you to try during the festivities and you will have more than enough energy to dance all night long!
HIGHLIGHTS:
-- Watch the Pandav Nritya performance
-- Dance lessons to learn to dance the Kalap way!
-- Local food and sweets
-- Day trek to Karba Top to see snow capped Swargarohini Peak
COMMUNITY RESPONSIBILITY:
We make the festival 100% eco-friendly. Through Kalap Trust (www.kalaptrust.org), profits from this trip will be used to buy 100% compostable plates from Ecoware (www.ecoware.in) so that ALL villagers attending the festival eat the 'prasad' in eco-friendly plates! (Till 2016, the people have used styrofoam plates, which are a disaster in the pristine himalayas)
Sunday, January 22, 2023
8.00 am reporting at pick-up point in Dehradun. Drive from Dehradun to Kotgaon (190 kms, 7 hours). Lunch stop enroute at Damta 11.30 am. Report at Tons Trails office and overnight stay in 2-star hotel. Dinner at Tons Trails Office with campfire.
Note: Client has to pay for enroute food, tea/coffee & snacks
Accomodation: 2-star hotel
Monday, January 23, 2023
8.30 am breakfast at Tons Trails Office and start hike to Kalap at 9 am with packed lunch (4.5 kms, 4-5 hrs). Kalap Village Festival starts in the late afternoon. Dance performance all night long. All dining at common kitchen setup for guests by us.
Accomodation: Comfortable homestay in village. Western and Indian shared toilets. Hot water available on demand.
Tuesday, January 24, 2023
Festival through the day. Dance performance all night long.
Accomodation: Comfortable homestay in village. Western and Indian shared toilets. Hot water available on demand.
Wednesday, January 25, 2023
Festival concludes with the slaughter of the 'pumpkin goat'. More dancing through the night.
Accomodation: Comfortable homestay in village. Western and Indian shared toilets. Hot water available on demand.
Thursday, January 26, 2023
Morning trek to Karba Top and picnic brunch with snow view (3.5 kms, 2 hours). Depart Kalap at 3 pm for Kotgaon (4 hours, 4.5 kms). 2-star hotel for night halt with dinner at Tons Trails Office.
Accomodation: 2-star hotel
Friday, January 27, 2023
7 am start to Dehradun with packed breakfast. Drop off at Dehradun by 1500 hrs.
Note: Client has to pay for enroute food, tea/coffee & snacks
Cost includes:
All Meals + Transportation (Dehradun-Kalap-Dehradun) + Accomodation (hotel and homestay) + Guides and Porterage
Excludes:
Any and everything which is not mentioned in the include section
Please read Terms & Conditions displayed before booking.
Booking cost is including 5% GST
Main Venue:
Kalap Village, Uttarakhand
Starts at
8.00 am, January 22, 2023
Ends at
3.00 pm, January 27, 2023
Organiser information
Tons Trails Pvt Ltd
Email: bookings@tons.travel
WhatsApp: +917060777030