KHARCHI PUJA- ART & CULTURE

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