Kharchi Puja: Where Tripura’s Traditions Come Together Alive

Tripura,the vibrant state of Northeast, has an identity that is made up of many things. The traditions of the tribes, the history of the royal family and the way people live together every day. In Tripura the culture is not something you just see in a museum. People actually live it every day through the rituals they practice. These rituals are a part of community life. 

One tradition that reflects the tripura's culture is Kharchi Puja.Given the participation of people transcending the communities, it has gained a universal character. It is also said to have been influenced by the Brahmanical Hindus.Dedicated to the Chaturdasha Devata, the 14 ancestral deities of the Tripuri people, representing hindu goads include  “Hara”, “Uma”, “Hari”, “Maa”, “Bani”, “Kumar”, “Ganesh”, “Brahma”, “Pritthi”, “Ganga”, “Abdi”, “Kamesh” and “Himadri” “Sikhi”. 

Its Cultural Significance:

The word Kharchi is come from the Kokborok language. It means a good time or a good ritual. People have been doing Kharchi Puja for a long time. It started a time ago when the royal families of Tripura did it. They did Kharchi Puja to make the world and people clean from things. They also did it to ask for things like being rich and healthy. Over time Kharchi Puja has become a big and nice festival that shows how many different cultures and spiritual things there are in Tripura. 

Where Rituals Turn into Celebrations:

Kharchi Puja in Agartala continues for a week and usually takes place in July. The main rites take place at the Chaturdasha Devata Temple in Old Agartala, around 8 km from the city core. The temple is really pretty with carvings and it is very peaceful so it becomes the main thing that people want to see during the Kharchi Puja celebrations. The ceremonial worship starts a day before the festival. Buffalo, richha, he-goats, eggs, bamboo poles and pipes, umbrella, earthen pot, duck, pigeon, bamboo stick, thread, cotton, turmeric, vermilion, wine, banana leaves and rice are some of the important ingredients for the worship. 

On the day of the Kharchi Puja, the people who do the chanting carry the 14 idols of the Kharchi Puja to the Saidra River, where they are washed with water before they are taken back, to the Chaturdasha Devata Temple.  They are again placed in the temple, decorated with various flowers, and vermillion is applied to the foreheads of the deities. 

The traditional dance and music performances at Kharchi Puja are one of its attractions. Folk artists from over Tripura come to Kharchi Puja to show their talents. This makes Kharchi Puja very special with lots of cultural things to see. The sound of the dhol and the flute at Kharchi Puja and the way the dancers move is very exciting, for the people who come to watch Kharchi Puja.

Kharchi Puja quietly holds its ground. It does not try to reinvent itself or chase trends. Instead, it continues in its own way, year after year, setting the cultural rhythm of Tripura steady, rooted and deeply its own.

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