The annual Kharchi Puja, a revered festival that worships Fourteen Gods, commenced on Monday in Tripura. This festival holds a significant place among the numerous festivities in the northeastern state.
Celebrated with great fervor every year in June-July, Tripura is renowned as the land of Fourteen Gods.
In 1760 AD, during the reign of Maharaja Krishna Manikya, the Fourteen Gods temple was constructed in Puran Haveli (Old Agartala), which still stands as a testament to its historical significance.
While rooted in indigenous tribal deities, the festival is influenced by Brahmanical Hindu customs. It is noteworthy that although the rituals follow Hindu traditions, the unique aspect of this festival lies in the worship of only the heads of these deities.
Although Brahmanical iconography does not support the veneration of broken head images as objects of ritual, the Hindu population in Tripura has embraced these fourteen head images as popular deities.
Similar to other Indo-Mongoloid tribes in Northeast India, the majority Tripuri tribe in Tripura initially recognized only one supreme supernatural power.
Over time, they gradually adopted Hindu religious practices while retaining traces of animism, the primitive form of their ancestral religion.
The heads of the deities, crafted from an alloy of eight metals, were initially placed at the Sunderbans in the confluence of the Ganga River and the Bay of Bengal. Later, they were relocated to Khayerpur or Puran Haveli, situated 10 km from the state capital Agartala, after the construction of the Chaturdasa Devata temple.
The Kharchi Puja festival showcases a dual arrangement, where tribal priests known as ‘Chantai’ and Hindu Brahmins perform the rituals together.
Another notable feature of the festival is that the deities remain locked in a room throughout the year, and they are only exhibited to devotees during these seven days.
The week-long festival begins with a ceremonial procession led by the chief royal priest or Raj Chantai, accompanied by other priests carrying bamboo umbrellas on their heads, creating a distinct ‘ehune’ sound.
Thousands of devotees join the procession as the state police play the Indian National anthem, followed by a gun salute to pay tribute to the deities.
The procession proceeds to the nearby Howrah River for the ceremonial bathing of the deities, after which they are worshipped by the royal priest in the temple premises.
Subsequently, the deities are placed in a separate room enclosed by an iron net, allowing devotees to view them during the seven-day festival.
In the past, human sacrifices were offered to appease the fourteen deities. However, this tradition has been replaced by the ritual sacrifice of 108 he-goats on the first day, which is now organized by the state government.
Throughout the festival, thousands of devotees from various backgrounds, both tribal and non-tribal, continue to offer sacrifices of he-goats, chickens, pigeons, and more.
As per tradition, the Chief Royal Priest receives a state salute from the police and assumes the role of the king during the seven days of celebration.
Previously celebrated within the royal palace premises to ensure the peace and well-being of the kingdom, Kharchi Puja now attracts people from all walks of life, both tribal and non-tribal, following the abolition of the monarchy.
Its popularity continues to grow, with participants not only from Tripura but also from other states, serving as a platform for unity.
Visitors from various parts of the state, as well as from outside, who have come to witness this unique festival, noted that Tripura had experienced communal conflicts in the past between tribal and non-tribal communities.
However, the state has since achieved remarkable peace, and festivals like Kharchi Puja contribute to maintaining harmony.
Although Kharchi Puja is rooted in tribal traditions, it has attracted enthusiastic participation from non-tribal communities.
This festival serves as a beacon of hope and a bridge between tribal and non-tribal people in Tripura, fostering peace, faith, love, and harmony in a time when communal disharmony persists worldwide.
