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Halda: cedar torches in the Lahaul winter
Cedar torches carried out into the January dark to drive the old year away
Halda, also called Khogla, is a winter festival of Lahaul in Himachal Pradesh: on one winter night each village lights torches of pencil cedar to honour its local deities, ask for a good harvest and drive evil spirits away. The district places it generally in the second and third weeks of January, but each valley keeps its own night: in the Pattan valley it falls on the full moon of Magh, in the Gahar valley a lama fixes it. Pattan valley: 22 January 2027 (expected).
Each valley keeps its own night, and the dates become known locally in January.
The legend
Diwali is kept all over India, but Lahaul has its own festival of light, Halda or Khogla: winter torches lit in honour of the local deities.
The night is traditionally fixed by the local lama; in the Pattan valley it is tied to Magh Purnima, the full moon.
The fire drives the old year's evil out of the valley, and honours Shiskar Apa, the grandmother goddess of wealth.
Customs
Cedar torches
Pencil-cedar branches are cut into strips and tied into bundles; in the evening each household lights its torch and carries it to a shared spot.
Bonfire dancing
Then come singing and dancing round a big bonfire, sometimes for a couple of days.
Where to celebrate
Keylong
On one January night each Lahaul valley carries burning cedar torches out of its villages to drive the old year's evil away, then dances round the bonfires; Keylong is the base.
What happens on the torch night
The halda is the torch itself. Branches of pencil cedar are cut into strips and tied into bundles; local accounts say each family makes as many torches as it has male members. In the evening every household lights its torches and carries them to a shared spot in the village. The rite may be repeated several times, each time for a different deity, and then the villagers go home. Families gather in a house for rituals passed down through generations, with singing and dancing.
The festival is meant to please the local deities, bring a good crop in the coming season and keep evil spirits out of the village. A local scholar quoted by The Tribune describes it as dedicated to Shishkar Apa, a goddess of wealth in the Lamaistic pantheon, and compares it to Diwali.
In the Chandra valley the festival ends in Khangsar village with the Asur dance. The rite recalls a folk story about demons: four villagers in masks dance as the demons, and it ends with worship at the Nag Raj temple.
When and where: each valley its own night
Halda is celebrated in the Gahar, Tinan, Chandra and Pattan valleys of Lahaul. Celebrations usually begin in the Gahar and Tinan valleys in the second or third week of January, other valleys follow, and the last can run into the first week of February. In the Gahar valley around Keylong the local lama fixes the night each year. In the Pattan valley, the villages along the Chandrabhaga below Tandi, it falls on Magh Purnima, the full moon of the month of Magh by the local solar calendar, so usually in late January or early February.
The nights become known in the villages in January. Ask your host which village walks when. A few weeks later the Pattan valley keeps Fagli, on the new moon in early February, with oil lamps, offerings of roasted barley and a ploughing rite performed indoors because the fields are under snow.
Getting to Lahaul in winter
Keylong is the base, about 70 km from Manali through the Atal Tunnel. Since the tunnel opened Lahaul can be reached in winter in a way it could not before, but the weather still decides the last stretch. Plan three nights at the least, and four if you want the night after the torches too.
- Arrive two days early
Heavy snow can close the road through the Atal Tunnel, and the Rohtang route is shut all winter. Keep a spare day either side of the date.
- Book a room directly
Few places stay open in winter. Arrange a room in Keylong or a Pattan valley homestay directly, about a month ahead. Prices do not rise for the festival.
- Transport to Manali
HRTC buses to Manali and trains to Chandigarh go on sale 60 days ahead; for January two weeks' notice is usually enough.
A village rite, not a show
Halda is kept by households and villages for their own deities. Go with your host family or homestay, ask before joining a procession and follow their lead.
Mountain winter
The UK Foreign Office lists sudden weather changes, avalanches, landslides and rock falls among mountain hazards, especially above 3,000 m. Check the road status before leaving Manali and make sure your travel insurance covers the altitude: Keylong lies at about 3,080 m, and the FCDO advises cover for travel above 2,400 m.
FAQ
What is Halda?
A winter torch festival of Lahaul in Himachal Pradesh, also called Khogla. Villagers light torches of pencil cedar to honour local deities, ask for a good harvest and drive evil spirits away.
When is Halda?
Generally in the second and third weeks of January, with each valley on its own night. Pattan valley, on Magh Purnima: 22 January 2027 (expected). In the Gahar valley a lama fixes the night each year.
In which state is Halda celebrated?
In Himachal Pradesh, in the Lahaul valleys of Lahaul and Spiti district: Gahar, Tinan, Chandra and Pattan.
Can you reach Lahaul for Halda in winter?
Yes, through the Atal Tunnel from Manali, about 70 km to Keylong, as long as snow has not closed the road. Keep spare days.
What is the festival after Halda?
Fagli, kept in the Pattan valley on the new moon in early February, with oil lamps, barley offerings and a symbolic ploughing rite indoors.
Sources (6)
Facts checked: 21 October 2026. Prices and hours are approximate; check locally.