The Haatkalika fair is held in Gangolihat, a small town in the Pithoragarh District of Uttarakhand. The fair is organized in honor of Goddess Haatkalika, a divine embodiment of Maa Kali. This place is also a ‘Shakti Peeth’ which is a place where a mortal body part of the goddess is supposed to have collapsed after Ma Sati bereaved herself of her life. Hatkalika Fair is held on the eight day (ashtami) of the month of Chaitra and Bhado.
A procession is taken out with the to-be-sacrificed animals, in which people play drums and sing and dance to the tune of the drum beats. The athwar (eight sacrifices) processions with drums and dances are worth seeing at the Haatkalika fair. It is said that if one truly wants something and he deserves it then Goddess Hatkalika fulfills the person’s wishes. The nearby ‘Patal Bhubaneswar’ caves or the natural underground caves are worth visiting to see a marvel of nature.
