KHARCHI PUJA- ART
& CULTURE
Why in News?
PM sends wishes to the people of Tripura on the occasion of Kharchi Puja, a significant
festival celebrated in the state of Tripura.
What is the Kharchi
Puja?
§ About:
o Also known as the 'Festival
of 14 Gods,' this traditional event involves the worship of
Chaturdasa Devata, (housed in the ancient Ujjayanta Palace), the ancestral
deity of the Tripuri people.
·
During the festival, the Tripuri people also worship the earth along
with their 14 deities.
o An important ritual
in this festival involves the construction of the Chaturdasha Mandapa, a
structure that symbolizes the royal palace of the Tripuri kings.
o On the day of the
Puja, the 14 gods are carried to river “Saidra” by the members of “Chantai”
(royal priests). The gods are bathed in the holy water and are brought
back to the temple.
The word ‘Kharchi’ is derived
from two Tripuri words– ‘khar’ or kharta meaning sin and ‘chi’ or si meaning
cleaning.
- Although
the festival has tribal origins, it is celebrated by both tribal
and non-tribal people of Tripura.
It is believed that the Mother
Goddess or Tripura Sundari, the presiding deity of the land who protects
the people of Tripura, menstruates during the time of Ambubachi, which
is observed in June.
- There
is a popular belief that the Earth becomes impure during the
menstruation period of the Goddess.
Hence, Kharchi Puja
is observed to ritualistically clean the Earth after her menstruation is
over and wash away the sins of the people in the land.
Background:
- The Krishna
Manikya Bahadur (1760-1761) shifted the capital from southern
Tripura’s Udaipur to Puran Habeli in 1760 which remained capital of then
undivided Tripura till 1838.
- In 1838, Agartala
was made the capital of Tripura by king Krishna Kishore Manikya
Bahadur.
- The temple of
14 Gods constructed at that time still stands.
- The then Tripura
included the regions of Sylhet, Brahmanbaria and Comilla districts of then
East Pakistan and now Bangladesh.
- In October 1949,
Tripura maharani Kanchan Prabha Devi signed a merger agreement
with the Indian Governor General and Tripura came under the control of
the Indian government.
- As per this
merger Tripura government should continue the sponsorship of 14 temples
including the Mata Tripura Sundari Temple
Sources:https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2033074
https://www.hindustantimes.com/lifestyle/health/this-green-veggie-is-the-underrated-superfood-your-diet-needs-now-according-to-a-dietitian-101720953412772.html