Dekaras are clay idols of deities, which are meant for worship only. The pictures made of Lord Shiva on Kartik Sankranti are known as Dekara. They are prepared using clay mixed with colour. They are then painted with different colors to make them attractive. These paintings depict the marriage of Shiva to Parvati, the daughter of Himalaya.
Special images of deities are created as idol worship played an important role in the lives of the residents of Garhwal and Kumaon.
There are clay idols of gods and goddesses either in relief or in three-dimensional form and are meant for worship only. They are prepared from fine clay mixed with color. They are then painted with different colors to make them attractive.
The festival of Makar Sankranti is an occasion to make garlands of wild pigeons or ghughta (which figure prominently in the romantic folk songs of Kumaon) from sweet wheat flour. Children feed the crows with these Gutta models. The images of Lord Shiva created on the day of Kadak Sankranti called Dekaras depict the marriage of Shiva with Parvati, the daughter of Himalaya.
The art heritage of Kumaon shows that it is a potpourri of several aesthetic traditions with influences from Tantric, Buddhist, Shaivite, Shakta, and Vaishnava philosophies. Tantric art has greatly influenced Kumaoni folk art. Even though it could not capture the heights of beauty, the folk art represents the region’s religious sentiments and socio-cultural traditions. It also represents the collective experience of artists through many generations and the expression of historical events that the land of Kumaon has witnessed.
Uttarakhand also has a unique art form called Dekaras, which is beautifully designed clay models of various gods and goddesses. You can bring a dekara art from the land of the gods to answer your prayers. Uttarakhand also makes beautiful dolls, and Pahari Junyali Gudiya is a new addition. The popular indigenous craft of Uttarakhand is the intricate wood carvings where the craft is once again passed down from one generation to another. Wood carving adorns every home. The versatility of this art is evident from the intricately carved wooden entry doors to the entrances of regular houses to palaces and temples.
Wonderful wood-carved wonders can be seen in popular tourist places like Chandpur Fort, Temple of Srinagar, Pandukeshwar, Devalgarh Temple, etc. The best places to see miniatures on stone are the various temples of Uttarakhand. The woodwork of Uttarakhand is so rich in heritage that the wood of the doorways and tibaris have been preserved in the National Museum of Delhi. the woodwork is excellent and
They are also made on holy occasions like Kartik Sankranti. It is said that in the house where it is kept, the decker brings divine blessings.