Hindus of Tripura worship god in various forms including fire, water, forest and earth. The most important festivals have a perfect amalgamation of Hindu and Tribal cultures. Here are some of the importance festivals of Tripura in northeastern India.
Garia Puja
Garia Puja is the biggest tribal festival of Tripura and it is observed in April.
It is held in honor of Garia Baba, a saint revered amongst the tribes of Tripura and nearby states.
In the Garia festival, two big statues, each seven feet high are made of bamboo. One of them has no hands while the hands of the other are tied with strips of cloth.
Garia Baba worship goes on continuously for seven days.
The followers of Garia Baba lead a life of celibacy during the festival. At the end of seven days, the cloth strips tied to the hands of one of the statues are taken off and distributed amongst the people.
The statues are immersed in a river at the end of the festival.
Sweetmeats are prepared after immersion and shared among friends, relatives, villagers and saints.
Kharchi Puja
Kharchi Puja is another important festival of Tripura and it is observed in June – July.
Thirteen deities of copper and silver image of Shiva are made on the occasion. All the deities have horns.
The deities include Shiva, Parvati, Lakshmi, Narayana, Saraswati, Kartikeya, Ganesha, Samudra, Ganga, Yamuna, Agni, Himadri and Varuna.
This is a very ancient festival, takes place at the palace of the King, and is observed for seven days
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Chantai, the priest of the royal family, has the right to perform the rituals. He wears pink-colored silk robes and a ceremonial gold chain around his neck.
Ker Puja
Ker Puja is observed fourteen days after Kharchi Puja on Ashtami Tithi. The festival is observed for 2.5 days. An important feature of the festival is that no one light the hearth in the morning. A big barrel is made out of bamboo, a fire is then produced by rubbing together two bamboos and is allow to burn in the barrel. Everyone uses this fire to light their home-fire. It is said that this ceremony is performed for the welfare of the people.
Another remarkable tribal festival is the Ganga Puja. This ceremony is held in March – April. About four or five villages join together to perform this worship. A temple of bamboo is built just in the middle of a river; rituals are performed and prayers are offered here.
Ashokashtami At Unakoti Tirtah
Ashokashtami fair is held at Unakoti Tirtah at Kailasheshwar (Shiva) every year in spring. Thousands of devotees assemble here to offer prayers to the murtis of Goddesses engraved on hilly rocks, which are found here.
Apart from these festivals, the people of Tripura also celebrate other Hindu festivals like Shivratri, Vasant Panchami, Durga Puja and Diwali.