Maa Bharadi Devi Jatra 2025 Rikshal, Chauthan, Pauri Garhwal

Maa Bharadi Devi Jatra is a revered religious and cultural event conducted once every twelve years in Rikshal village, situated in Chauthan Tehsil of Pauri Garhwal district, Uttarakhand. This sacred tradition is observed by the Negi family community, comprising approximately forty-five families residing in Rikshal, Pathaon, and nearby villages.
Maa Bharadi Devi holds a significant place in the spiritual and folk history of the Garhwal region. According to long-standing oral traditions, she is worshipped as a powerful form of Shakti and is regarded as a guardian deity who protects villages, families, livestock, crops, and natural resources. In Garhwali belief systems, such deities have historically played a central role in maintaining social order, moral values, and harmony between humans and nature.
Historically, the worship of Maa Bharadi Devi is closely linked with ancient village traditions, where the deity was invoked during times of hardship such as natural calamities, epidemics, or social conflict. Her presence is believed to ensure justice, protection, and collective well-being. Over generations, devotion to Maa Bharadi Devi has been preserved through rituals, jatras, and community gatherings, passed down orally from elders to younger generations, thereby sustaining the cultural identity of the region.
The Jatra brings together all members of the Negi families to collectively offer prayers and seek divine blessings from Maa Bharadi Devi, the Aaradhya Devi (presiding deity) of the Negi lineage. The esteemed priest (Pujari) of Maa Bharadi Devi is Pujari Shyam Singh Negi Khaldar Wale). This Jatra not only reinforces spiritual faith but also strengthens family unity, social bonds, and respect for ancestral traditions, making it an important living heritage of the Garhwal Himalayas.