Harvest festival – Tusu, celebrated with traditional fanfare across Bokaro and Dhanbad. The tribal residents observed this three-days festival with was started on 12 January with and jollity though in few parts it will observed till a week.
Today, over thousands of people including newly born to late eighty throngs on the bank of Damoder River near the border of Bokaro and Dhanbad district and a lot of rituals including ‘Mela’ observed on the bank of the river which draws the maximum crowd there. According to the local villagers this festival basically celebrated as a harvest carnival, with traditional fanfare and gaiety.
Anil Mahato a resident of Bhojudih village said, Tusu Parab derived its origin from the cultural roots of Birbhum district; celebrated during the holy occasion of Makara Snakranti and performed only by the girls.
Primarily celebrated by unmarried tribal girls of Jharkhand and West Bengal and Orissa, brings immense joy and happiness to the people, particularly for tribals of Jharkhand. This festival is noted for its colorful songs, which express the stories and the experiences of livelihood.
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. After taking a bath, the females start praising the Goddess by singing various local songs. These very songs are known as Tusu in Bengal. A plate of rice is also offered to the deity on the occasion, Mahato told.
‘Melas’ are a traditional part of Tusu which organised with an aim to bring the traditional tribal culture and tribal artisans to the limelight, he said.