Ancient winter festival lights up India’s Himalayan villages

Across snow-covered areas of Lahaul-Spiti and the Kullu Valley in northern India, residents are observing the Halda festival, a winter ritual rooted in local belief and community bonding. The festival is held during the coldest months, when the region remains cut off due to heavy snow.

As evening falls, villagers step out carrying burning torches and move together around their settlements. Through traditional songs and rhythmic dances performed late into the night, people invoke local deities, seeking protection, prosperity, and harmony for the year ahead.