Every year, as the first monsoon showers arrive in Uttarakhand, homes across the region prepare for a festival that is far more than a seasonal celebration. Harela, marked by the sowing of seeds and the sharing of blessings, carries within it generations of knowledge about living in harmony with nature. For the agrarian communities of Kumaun and parts of Garhwal, this understanding was never taught through environmental campaigns or policy documents. It was woven into everyday life, where...