Hareli
regional
When it happens
July
Shravan Amavasya — the new moon that opens the month of Shravan, falling in July or August.
Significance
Chhattisgarh's own new year in practical terms, and a state holiday — one of the few Indian festivals whose entire subject is farm implements.
Why it's celebrated
It is the first festival of the Chhattisgarhi agricultural year. The monsoon has broken, the fields are sown, and the tools that did the work are honoured.
How it's celebrated
Ploughs, hoes and spades are washed and worshipped along with the cattle. Neem branches are hung at house entrances for their protective association, and children walk the flooded fields on bamboo stilts.
Key rituals
Washing and worship of the plough, hoe and cattle; neem branches at the door.
Beliefs & spiritual meaning
The tools and animals that will produce the year's food are thanked before the season proper begins.
History & origins
A Chhattisgarhi agricultural rite marking the opening of the cultivating year, now backed by a regional public holiday.
Frequently asked
When is Hareli?+
On Shravan Amavasya, the new moon that opens the month of Shravan, falling in July or August. It is the first festival of the Chhattisgarhi agricultural year and a regional public holiday.
What happens on Hareli?+
Ploughs, hoes, spades and cattle are washed and worshipped, neem branches are hung at house doorways, and children walk the flooded fields on gedi — bamboo stilts built fresh for the festival. It is one of very few Indian festivals whose entire subject is the tools that do the farming.
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