Karma festival never gonna much excited this year as per the pandemic: The Tribal Festival

With restrictions on social gathering being imposed owing to the pandemic, the tribal festival of Karma will not witness the usual foot-tapping beats of the Mandar and people decked up in their traditional attire will also not be seen dancing on the tunes of traditional folk songs- a sight reminiscent of this festival. The Karma Puja on August 29 i.e., today only, is slated to be a low-key affair this year.

A Schedule Tribe Festival 

Karma is celebrated to pay a tribute to Mother Nature and a branch of the Karma tree is placed in the akhara where people gather for celebrations. Usually, Sisters celebrate this festival and pray for the long lives, happiness and prosperity of their brothers. This year the festival is not being celebrated with any fanfare but with utmost simplicity. Social distancing will be maintained at all times. Most importantly the traditional dance on Karma songs will also not take place,” said Bablu Munda, President Kendriya Sarna Samiti Ranchi. Munda further added that the branch will be immersed in water on Sunday morning and only a handful of devotees will be taking part in it this time, unlike every other year when people would dance on their back.

 

“To adhere to social distancing norms, people have been asked to visit the akhara with their puja thalis (puja plates) only for doing the parikrama while the Pahan (tribal priest) will get the rituals conducted over loudspeakers which have been placed at various points across the city so that devotees can hear the story at the convenience of their homes” added Munda. Devotees also observe a 24 hour fast before the festival begins.

 

Pooja Kumari, a resident of Kokar Industrial Area is going to celebrate the festival away from her family for the first time. “Every year people make it a point to go back to their villages for Karma celebrations but owing to the lockdown they unable to go this year. Ranchi: This year, the tribal festival of Karma may not witness the usual beats of Mandar and synchronized foot-tapping dance in an akhara in the wake of restrictions on social gathering owing to the pandemic, but the festival is likely to save marital negotiations that have otherwise been hampered during the pandemic. “During Karma, it is mandatory for the bridegroom’s family to gift clothes and dress material to the bride-to-be and in case they fail to do so, marital negotiations are considered to have been called off,” said Soma Munda, a scholar of tribal customs and former director of Jharkhand Tribal Welfare Research Institute (JTWRI). “Karma is the occasion to renew such ties and if the bride’s family accepts the gifts, then it is an indication that both the families are interested in forging a relationship”. Karma is also considered a festival to pay tribute to nature, and a branch of Karma tree is placed either in the courtyard or in an akhara. “In the Santhal Pargana, Karam branch is erected in the courtyard and the event is mainly a family affair but in the ‘Chotanagpur’ region, the branch is placed in an akhara jointly by many people,” Munda said. President of Kendriya Sarna Samity Foolchand Tirkey said that they are going to carry out the rituals by following proper safety measures. Unmarried young girls sow seeds on a pot of sand and the tender plants called ‘java’ are worshipped on Karam Ekadashi. They raise the sprouts and five people would go to the nearby forest to cut and bring a branch of Karam tree on this festival. The tribal leaders, however, agreed that this year there would be no dance and drum beats near the akharas, which is otherwise an essential feature of Karma. Everything has become uncertain and festivals are being organized just for the sake of custom. We have to abide by the rules because COVID-19 cases are on the rise.