Mussoorie, Aug. 18 -- Residents of over five villages gathered to celebrate the traditional Butter Festival at Uttarkashi's Dayara Bugyal on Monday. Held on the picturesque alpine meadow situated nearly 11,000 feet above sea level, the festivals involved Holi-adjacent games wherein billagers from Raithal, Varsu, Dayara and surrounding settlements smeared fresh dairy products such as butter, curd and buttermilk upon each other. The festival is an important tradition for the locals , particularly those from Varsu and Raithal, and is celebrated with prayers to Lord Krishna. The celebrations began with prayers to local deities and Lord Krishna. Villagers also prayed for the well-being of their livestock. Manoj Rana, president of the Dayara Tourism Festival Committee, Raithal said villagers from Raithal and neighbouring areas traditionally move with their livestock to temporary shelters, locally known as chhanis, in Dayara Bugyal at the beginning of summer. "They spend the summer months grazing their livestock in the nutrient-rich Bugyal pastures, resulting in a substantial increase in milk production. With the arrival of the monsoon and a fall in temperatures in the alpine meadows, villagers begin their return journey to lower-altitude pastures with their herds," Rana said. He said the abundance of milk during this period forms the basis of the Butter Festival, which is also an expression of gratitude towards nature and the environment. "The festival is dedicated to nature worship, and the villagers express their gratitude towards the environment through dairy-based celebrations," Rana said. Before the main celebrations, Gangotri MLA Suresh Chauhan greeted the villagers and flagged off a group travelling towards Dayara Bugyal with the sacred palanquin of Someshwar Devta. The festival also attracted visitors from outside Uttarakhand. Vipin Singh, a tourist from Delhi, participated in the celebrations and said the experience was a memorable one. The organisers said the celebrations were conducted with environmental safeguards in place. Shekhar Rana forest range officer Dayara, said, "The festival was organised as per the High Court guidelines and the waste is being collected by the members from the Dayara community."...