The tribal population across the State is geared up for the harvest festival ‘Tusu’. The three-day festival will start on January 12.
Seeing festivity, the small and moderate scale hotels literally closed down their shops, as most of the labourers went on holiday in Bokaro and Dhanbad districts. “This festival basically celebrated as a harvest carnival, with traditional fanfare and gaiety,” said Anand Mahato a small hotel owner at Telmachho and a resident of Chordaha under Chandankiyari block of Bokaro district.Tusu primarily celebrated in Jharkhand and West Bengal and Orissa, brings immense joy and happiness to the people, particularly for tribals of Jharkhand, said Santosh Mahato a resident of Karharia.“This festival is dedicated to Goddess Tusu for which people throng the banks of rivers for a lot of rituals.
In Bokaro and Dhanbad ‘Mela’ is also organised on the bank of the river Damodar which draws the maximum crowd every year, he said.
‘Melas’ are a traditional part of Tusu. It is organised with an aim to bring the traditional tribal culture and tribal artisans to the limelight, said Sambhu a resident of Hirapur of Dhanbad.
“Tusu Parab derived its origin from the cultural roots of Birbhum district; celebrated during the holy occasion of Makara Sankranti and performed only by the girls”, he added.
The young girls prepared the idols of Goddess Tusu with clay and later go to a nearby river where they then sanctify themselves by taking a dip.