Agartala, April 21: Garia Puja, one of the most significant festivals of Tripura’s indigenous communities, is being celebrated across the state with traditional devotion and enthusiasm to honour Baba Garia — the bamboo-crafted deity revered as the creator of the universe and all life forms.
The week-long festival holds deep spiritual and cultural importance, as devotees pray for good health, bountiful harvests, and overall prosperity.
The rituals began with hundreds of tribal people lining up to offer eggs — symbols of life and fertility — and sacrifice cocks before the sacred bamboo structure representing Baba Garia.
Essential items used in the puja include cotton threads, rice, riccha (a traditional offering), fowl chicks, rice beer, wine, earthen pots, eggs, and more. These elements symbolize fertility, life, and abundance.
A key figure in the celebrations is the Chantai, or tribal priest, who performs the rituals and interprets the signs from the sacrifices to forecast the coming year for the community.
Despite being a tribal-centric festival, Garia Puja sees wide participation from non-tribal communities as well, reinforcing the cultural harmony and unity that defines the spirit of Tripura.
The festival will continue over the next few days, with prayers and community gatherings taking place across tribal hamlets and urban areas alike.
