Iron hooks, nails, arrows and other sharp materials are pierced into the flesh; extreme stunts were performed by devotees to appease lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati in a remote village Pundru under Chandankiyari block about 35 kms from the district headquarter of Bokaro.
This mind-boggling ethnic festival called Charak Puja or Bhokta is observed with great devotion, not only in Chandankiyari but also at Nawadih in Bokaro, Pirtand in Giridih and other parts of the State. Besides Jharkhand, this festival is also celebrated by the farmers of West Bengal, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Orissa.
This is the festival of sorrow, said A Mahato, resident of Pundru village. “Tribal and non-tribal people celebrates ‘Bhokta’ festival every year in respect of Goddess Parvati, who committed suicide at his father’s place where she saw her husband ‘lord Shiva’ being treated shabbily”, he added.
This festival has been celebrated in an unbroken chain for 175 years; Hindu and Muslims both takes part in the proceedings. It is one of the big festivals of the area which celebrates in its own ethnic style, he said.
To appease the God and Goddess few of the devotees used to suspend himself from a bamboo pole at more than fifty feet height with iron hooks pierced through their backs and chests. “Some people call it an act of faith, while others say that they are clever sleight of hand artists but the entire villagers celebrated this festival in honour of lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati”, said Mamta Goshwami another villager.
“It takes body piercing to an extreme as every family of the village, coming from 26 diverse castes is represented in a gory spectacle that parades through the streets in our village”, she added.
Explaining about the myth of the festival Mamta said, lord Shiva, carrying the lifeless body of his consort Parvati, pain searing in his heart walked through the area before performing his dance of destruction. The rituals are to placate Shiva.
The word Bhokta means followers of God, and the festival is called Charak Puja. “Farmers have adopted this culture from our elders and forefathers and it will continue the same way till the humanity lives on”, she believes.
According to the elderly residents it’s believed that before the coming of the “Aryan Race”, Dravidian ruled at this place that followed Shivism sect before being over taken by the Aryans. Feeling sorry for Goddess Parvati who committed suicide the followers of this sect pierce their part of body with arrows, knives, Iron rods and give pain to their body to show the respect to the Goddess.
While another aged villager S Mahato (89) said, this is also a festival of ‘Unity and Integrity’ among the villagers of all community. “It’s necessary to participate in this festival, and at least one members of every family of the village of any cast, creed and color here in the festival”, he added.
Meanwhile more than five thousand peoples from all religions were participated in this festival to show their respect to the Goddess Parvati at Pundru village on Tuesday.
The participants on the festive day present themselves in tableaux in the procession— Bhisma on his bed of arrows, even a representation of ‘Christ on a cross’ passes through village roads.