Bageshwar’s Uttarayani Mela, Kumaon’s biggest winter fair, opens around Makar Sankranti, which in 2027 falls at 9:14 pm on 14 January, so the main dip at the Saryu and Gomti confluence is on 15 January. The district had not announced the 2027 dates by 1 November 2026. Last year the fair ran for eight days, 13 to 20 January 2026, with an opening procession to Numaish Khet, 33 department stalls, sports on Saryu Bagad and Kumaoni star nights every evening. Bageshwar is 160 km from Haldwani by Google Maps, about 5 hours 25 minutes by car through Bhowali and Almora.
When the 2027 fair is likely to be
The fair begins with Makar Sankranti, when the sun moves into Capricorn and Kumaon celebrates Uttarayani and Ghughutiya. In 2027 the Sankranti moment falls late, at 9:14 pm on Thursday 14 January by the Haldwani panchang, so the auspicious time for the dip is the morning of Friday 15 January, from 7:07 am. Families on the two sides of the Saryu traditionally mark Ghughutiya a day apart, so both days will be busy.
The 2027 dates had not been announced by 1 November 2026. Last year the district held its review meeting on 19 December 2025 and fixed the fair for 13 to 20 January 2026, so expect the 2027 programme in the second half of December. We will add it here when it is out.
What the fair is
Bageshwar stands where the Gomti joins the Saryu, beside the Bagnath temple of Shiva, and a dip at the confluence on Makar Sankranti is the oldest reason for the fair. It grew under the Chand kings into the Magh mela, and then into the great winter market of the eastern Kumaon valleys.
The goods still tell you which valley they came from: ringal baskets and mats from Danpur, woollen carpets and blankets from Johar and Munsiyari, copper vessels from Kharahi, iron tools from Kali Kumaon, Himalayan herbs, hill oranges and sugarcane. Buyers have long come for Kumaon mastiff puppies as well.
The fair where the Kuli Begar was ended
Uttarayani at Bageshwar has a place in Indian history. On 14 January 1921, at the fair, a gathering led by Badri Dutt Pandey, the editor of the Almora Akhbar, took an oath at the confluence to stop coolie begar, the forced and unpaid porterage that villagers had to provide for touring British officials, and threw the village coolie registers into the Saryu. Accounts of the crowd vary widely; the figure most often repeated is about 40,000. Gandhi called it a bloodless revolution, Pandey became known as Kumaon Kesari, and the practice was given up soon afterwards.
How the 2026 fair went
The 2026 fair opened on Tuesday 13 January with a procession from the tehsil to the Numaish Khet ground, led by the nishan, the fair’s banner, with dhol-damau drummers and chholiya dancers, the Johar cultural committee and the nagara drummers of Madkot, a kalash yatra and children from fourteen schools. The district panchayat chairperson, the local MLA, the district magistrate and the SP flagged it off, and the SDM served as mela officer. Thirty-three department stalls were set up at Numaish Khet.
The published programme had a deepdan, the lighting of lamps, on the Saryu ghats on the first evening; volleyball, arm wrestling and dangal wrestling on Saryu Bagad; alpana, mehendi and Kumaoni cooking competitions; school programmes each afternoon; and a star night every evening with Kumaoni singers including Inder Arya, Lalit Mohan Joshi, Maya Upadhyay and Kamla Devi. The last night, 20 January, closed with Bollywood singers including Dev Negi and the prize-giving.
Getting there from Haldwani
On 1 November 2026 Google Maps gave 160 km and about 5 hours 25 minutes by car from the Haldwani bus stand to the Bagnath temple, through Bhowali and Almora. There is no railway in Bageshwar; Kathgodam is the nearest station. In January, leave early and drive in daylight, because shaded bends on hill roads can stay icy on winter mornings, and fair week brings heavy traffic into Bageshwar town.
Where to stay
Rooms in Bageshwar go quickly in fair week, so book early or stay a little away. Almora, on the way, has the widest choice, and our Almora travel guide covers it. If you are coming by train, a night in Haldwani before the drive up helps:
- Hotels near Kathgodam railway station, for an evening train arrival.
- Every hotel in Haldwani and Kathgodam, our directory of 403 stays with Google ratings.
- Uttarakhand in winter, for what January is like in the hills.
Same week in Haldwani
If you are staying on the Haldwani side, Lakhwinder Wadali sings at Golden Palms on Rampur Road on Saturday 16 January 2027, the Saturday of the fair week. Our Lakhwinder Wadali page has the tickets and timings.
What we could not confirm
By 1 November 2026 the district had not announced the 2027 dates, the programme or the singers for the star nights, and we found no published attendance figure for the 2026 fair. We will update this page when the programme is out. If you are from Bageshwar and can add to this, write to hih.editorial@gmail.com.
Questions about the Uttarayani Mela
When is the Uttarayani Mela in Bageshwar in 2027?
It begins around Makar Sankranti. In 2027 the Sankranti falls at 9:14 pm on 14 January, so the main holy dip is on 15 January. The district had not announced the fair’s dates by 1 November 2026; in 2026 it ran for eight days, from 13 to 20 January.
Why is the fair held at Bageshwar?
Bageshwar stands where the Gomti meets the Saryu, beside the Bagnath temple, and a dip at the confluence on Makar Sankranti is the fair’s oldest reason. Traders from the surrounding valleys made it Kumaon’s biggest winter market.
What does Uttarayani have to do with the Kuli Begar movement?
On 14 January 1921, at the Uttarayani fair, a gathering led by Badri Dutt Pandey took an oath to end forced, unpaid porterage for British officials and threw the coolie registers into the Saryu. Gandhi called it a bloodless revolution, and the practice was given up soon afterwards.
How far is Bageshwar from Haldwani?
160 km by Google Maps, about 5 hours 25 minutes by car through Bhowali and Almora. Kathgodam is the nearest railway station.
What can you buy at the Uttarayani Mela?
Hill crafts from the valleys around Bageshwar: ringal baskets and mats from Danpur, woollen carpets and blankets from Johar and Munsiyari, copper vessels from Kharahi and iron tools from Kali Kumaon, along with Himalayan herbs, hill oranges and sugarcane.
Is anything on in Haldwani the same week?
Yes. Lakhwinder Wadali sings at Golden Palms on Rampur Road, Haldwani, on Saturday 16 January 2027 at 7:30 pm, the Saturday of the fair week.
How we listed this
We list local events editorially and are not the organiser. The 2026 dates and stalls are from a Pahadi Samvad report of 19 December 2025 on the district’s review meeting; the opening procession from Uttarakhand News Vaani of 13 January 2026; and the day-by-day programme, the valley crafts and the fair’s history from eKumaon’s guide to the 2026 fair. The Sankranti time for 2027 is from Drik Panchang, calculated for Haldwani. The 1921 history is from published accounts of the Coolie-Begar movement. Distances are from Google Maps on 1 November 2026. Tell us at hih.editorial@gmail.com if anything here has gone out of date.