Five-Day Diwali Festivities Begin in Keonthal with Traditional Madego Feast
The five-day traditional Diwali celebrations have begun in Himachal Pradesh’s Keonthal region with Madego, marking the start of a festive period filled with age-old customs, local flavours and community gatherings.
Over the next few days, homes across the Keonthal Valley will prepare traditional hill delicacies such as Mudra, Askali, Patanda and Kheer, filling villages with the aromas and flavours associated with the festival for generations.
Local senior citizens Dayaram Verma, Pritam Singh Thakur and Daulat Ram Mehta said Keonthal has a long-standing tradition of celebrating Madego two days before Diwali. On this day, Mudra is prepared using wheat with black gram or kidney beans and is traditionally eaten with walnuts.
On Chhoti Diwali, families prepare Askali from rice flour and serve it with sugar, ghee, honey, kidney beans and urad dal. On Diwali, which falls on the new moon day, Patanda and Kheer take centre stage in many households.
As evening approaches, homes and local temples are illuminated with rows of lamps. Families worship Goddess Lakshmi and make traditional offerings of puffed rice and sugar candy.
Another distinctive custom comes alive on Diwali night when villagers light a bonfire of corn stalks, locally known as Dawaltha, in the village square. This is followed by the lighting of a Ghaina in honour of the presiding deity. Villagers traditionally gather around it through the night, celebrating together and strengthening community bonds.
Elders recall that Ghaina Jagran was once accompanied by traditional Swang, Kariyala and folk plays, which were an important source of rural entertainment and helped keep local culture alive. With changing lifestyles, however, such performances have gradually declined, with mobile phones and digital entertainment taking their place.
The celebrations continue the day after Diwali with Padwa, or Govardhan Puja, when farmers decorate and worship their livestock and offer them sweets. Preparing Khichdi on Padwa and Bhai Dooj is another old tradition followed in the region.
Farmers also worship agricultural implements such as sickles and ploughs, acknowledging their importance in rural livelihoods. Families visit temples dedicated to their local and family deities, where rice and walnuts are offered as part of traditional rituals.
For Keonthal’s elderly residents, these five days are about much more than festivities. The customs, food and rituals represent the region’s deep-rooted hill culture, folk beliefs and sense of community. They believe passing these traditions on to younger generations is essential to preserving Keonthal’s rich cultural heritage in a rapidly changing world.