Annual Butter Festival at Himalayan Dayara Bugyal - Trekking cum Training Expedition 2026

An ideal Himalayan trek for beginners and families, built around one of Uttarakhand's most joyful mountain celebrations.

The Dayara Bugyal Butter Festival - known locally as Anduri Utsav or Makhan Holi - is a unique high-altitude celebration held on the alpine meadows above Raithal village in Uttarkashi. Villagers thank Mother Nature and local deities such as Lord Someshwar for keeping their cattle safe and healthy through the months spent grazing in the high meadows, and mark the joyful moment before the livestock is brought back down to the villages for winter.

What Happens at the Festival

• Butter Holi: participants playfully smear butter, milk and buttermilk on each other instead of coloured powder.
• Folk dance and music: traditional Garhwali performances such as the Raso dance, to the beat of the dhol-damau.
• Cultural skits: local children dress in elaborate costumes to enact traditional stories.

Dayara Bugyal itself is an all-time favourite meadow trek, good in every season - snow-covered trails in winter, and in spring a high-altitude meadow full of blooming flowers. The trail ascends gradually through dense oak and rhododendron forest to a summit at 12,200 feet, with panoramic views of Bandarpoonch, Black Peak, Srikanth and other snow-clad peaks.

Highlights

• Raithal village and its heritage houses
• Dayara Bugyal summit and the Butter Festival celebration held there
• Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Uttarkashi, en route
• Trek grade: Easy to Moderate - suitable for beginners

Organised By

• Uttarakhand State Branch, YHAI
• Coordinators: Usman Khan and Vijay Mohan Bembey
• Contact: 9412057778, 9871237687
• Email: musman_khan@yahoo.com, vijaymohanbm@gmail.com
• Office: C/o Unique Trading Est., 112 Majra, Saharanpur Road, Opp. Pizza Hut, Dehradun - 248001

Inclusions

• Transportation, Dehradun to Dehradun
• All meals from Day 1 dinner to Day 4 breakfast - vegetarian, healthy and nutritious
• Forest entry fees, permits, tolls and fuel charges
• Sharing guest house and tented accommodation
• Trek equipment: sleeping bags, tents, mattresses, kitchen and dining tents, toilet tents, utensils and crampons if needed
• A qualified team including a mountaineering-certified trek leader, guide, cook and support staff
• First aid and basic medical assistance, including oxygen cylinders and stretchers

Exclusions

• Trek insurance and the mandatory medical fitness certificate
• Lunch during the road journeys
• Personal gear - trekking shoes, trekking poles, personal clothing
• Personal expenses of any nature, and any food or beverages outside the provided meals
• Emergency evacuation, rescue and medical expenses beyond first aid
• Anything not specifically listed under inclusions

What Participants Should Bring Along

• Rucksack and trekking shoes
• Warm clothes and a raincoat
• Water bottle and sunglasses
• Torch and personal medicines
• ID proof, cap and sunscreen
• Toiletries and a power bank

Who Can Participate?

• Age 12 to 70 years, and physically fit for trekking.
• Maximum BMI: not more than 28.
• Children between 12 and 17 years may join when accompanied by their parents.
• A medical fitness certificate is mandatory and must be submitted at the time of reporting.
• Single batch of 17 participants.

Trek Facts

• Maximum altitude: 12,200 ft at the Dayara Bugyal summit
• Trek grade: Easy to Moderate
• Raithal 7,100 ft · Gui 9,800 ft · Dayara Bugyal 12,200 ft

Reporting

• Near Prince Chowk, Dehradun, Uttarakhand
• 15 August 2026 at 7:00 AM
• Extra luggage can be deposited at the base camp in Raithal.

How to Join

• Booking is offline for this programme - online booking is not available.
• Contact the Uttarakhand State Branch coordinators to register.

Safety & Security

• Trained and expert camp leaders guide the trek throughout.
• Medicines, first aid and basic medical assistance are available in camp.
• Anyone found unfit to continue will not be allowed to trek further - the organisers' decision is final and binding, in the interest of the participant's health and safety.
• While every precaution is taken, YHAI Uttarakhand State Branch is not responsible for accidents, illness or other unforeseen circumstances.

Programme Rules

• Smoking, alcohol and narcotics in any form are strictly prohibited.
• Participants must stay on the designated route; staying outside YHAI camps is not allowed.
• This is an environment-friendly trek - please carry your litter to the next camp.
• Burning wood for campfires is strictly prohibited.

Certificates

• Participants who complete the trek and follow the programme discipline receive a certificate at Dehradun on return.

Special Casual Leave

• YHAI trekking expeditions are approved by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions (DoPT), Government of India, vide Office Order No. 28016/3/89 Estt (A) dated 25 October 1989. Central Government employees may apply for special casual leave of up to 30 days in a calendar year.

• Cancellation requests must reach the State Branch by email or other written mode at least 10 days before the reporting date, for a 50% refund.
• No credit shell applies to this programme, and seats cannot be transferred to another programme.
• If a participant is unable to continue the programme partway due to health issues, no refund applies, and any additional arrangements for evacuation, return or alternative stay are at the participant's cost.
• If YHAI cancels because of government permissions or regulations, or natural or weather conditions, participants may postpone to a later date.
• Where cancellation is caused by natural calamity, government restriction, withdrawal of permission or other unforeseen circumstances, YHAI is accountable only for the programme fee; other expenses incurred are not covered, and the refund decision rests with YHAI and is final and binding.