'Kharchi’ or ‘Khmarchi’ festival is typical of Tripura. It is a celebration for worship of the tutelary deity of the royal family of Tripura. Once prevalent only in the royal family, the worship of the Fourteen Gods has now turned into a festival of the general public irrespective of caste or creed of Tripura's inhabitants. In Rajmala - the annals of the kings of Tripura - there are many unreal and imaginary stories about the origin of the Fourteen Gods, though there is no historical basis for these stories.
Historical Background
According to Rajmala ,The History of the Kings of Tripura written by Kailash Chandra Sinha"Drikpati, the eldest son of Trilochan, was chosen as the heir of the Kingdom of Cachhar by his maternal grandfather, who was without an heir. After the death of the king of Cachhar, Drikpati became the king. On the other hand, Trilochan ceremonially enthroned his second son, Dakshin, as prince.
Accordingly, after the death of his father Dakshin occupied the ancestral royal seat. Hearing the news of his father's death, Drikpati told his younger brother, Dakshin ,to quit the throne. In response, Dakshin wrote to his elder brother: Our maternal grandfather took you as his son and hence you have no right to occupy the ancestral throne, especially when our pious and virtuous father, the erstwhile king, had elected me as his heir. Drikpati, after receiving the letter of Dakshin, declared war against his younger brother. After seven days of severe fighting Drikpati won and occupied the ancestral throne. King Dakshin went to central Cachhar and set up a beautiful capital on the banks of the river Barabakra, thereby expanding the State towards the south. King Dakshin, as the proverb goes, took away the heads of the fourteen soldiers with him while fleeing from Tribeg, the ancient capital of Tripura.
Since then the ancestors of Dakshin have been worshipping the heads of the Fourteen Gods. The descendants of Drikpati worshipped those headless Fourteen Gods for years together. Herein lies the significance of worshipping the heads of the Fourteen Gods by the Tipra community of Tripura.
Fourteen Gods
Fourteen heads are the symbol of Fourteen Gods. The Brahmanic scriptural manes were attributed to them. As the Gods were of the tribal kings they had their names in Kok-barok, the tribal language. The popular names of the Fourteen Gods are -Hara, Uma,Hari, Ma, Vani, Kumara, Ganapa, Bidhi, Kha, Abdi, Ganga, Sikhi, Kama and Himadri. The Kak-borok version of the names of the Fourteen Gods are Katar, Katar-ma, Burachha, Mailoma, Khuloma, Subrai Raja, Lampra, Toi Bubagra, Sangrama,Harung Bubagra, Nangkhtai Bubagra, Bachhua Bubagra, Thunirok and Banirok. There is a half-moon behind every head of the Fourteen Gods. The kings of Tripura have used the symbol of half-moon in their coins, in the throne, the royal seat, in temples and in old paintings. They are the claimants of the clan of Moon and thus they feel proud by using this symbol of half-moon.
Kharchi Festival
In ‘`Kharchi’ or ‘Khar-si’, ‘Khar’ means to flee, and the word ‘si’ means to know. That means a hint is given about the strategic means to flee from the battle field assessing the overall situation. On the other hand, sacrificing the soldiers of the opposite camp, making men of mud and sacrificing them in front of the Gods helps us to believe without hesitation that the genesis of the Fourteen Gods lies in war and conflicts. The kok-barok (tribal language) names of the Fourteen Gods have been Sanskritised. As the Manikya royal family of Tripura accepted the Brahminic Hindu religion, the inhabitants of Tripura have been giving a holy dip to the Fourteen Gods for the last five hundred years. Bathing in the water symbolises integration and amity.
The yearly festival of the Fourteen Gods is organised with pomp and splendor in the temple. Every year, on the eighth lunar day of the light fortnight of the month of Asadha (of Bengali era), the festival starts and continues for seven days at a stretch. The Gods are worshipped on the first day only and on the rest of the days of the whole year, the Gods, except three of them, are packed up. These three Gods are worshipped daily. The symbolic tribal Gods are made by cutting small bamboos. The main priest of this festival is called ‘Chantai’. Under him, lower in ranks, there are ‘Naran’, "Barifang’, ‘Yakchu’ and a number of ‘Galims’. The main duty of the ‘Galims’ is to immolate the beasts. While worshipping the Gods, the duties of all classes of priests have been fixed. One priest, named Khapangtinai performs a vital role in Kharchi Puja.
Another special feature of Kharchi Puja is that although the Fourteen Gods are basically Gods of the tribals, their worship has acquired universality. Today this festival is not restricted to a particular community. It is a unique instance of the mixed culture of Tripura. At the time of Kharchi Puja both the tribals and non-tribals along with all the others of different castes and creed assemble in the courtyard of the temple of the Fourteen Gods where songs of union are sung. This has united the people of Tripura in the bond of fraternity.
Historical Background
According to Rajmala ,The History of the Kings of Tripura written by Kailash Chandra Sinha"Drikpati, the eldest son of Trilochan, was chosen as the heir of the Kingdom of Cachhar by his maternal grandfather, who was without an heir. After the death of the king of Cachhar, Drikpati became the king. On the other hand, Trilochan ceremonially enthroned his second son, Dakshin, as prince.
Accordingly, after the death of his father Dakshin occupied the ancestral royal seat. Hearing the news of his father's death, Drikpati told his younger brother, Dakshin ,to quit the throne. In response, Dakshin wrote to his elder brother: Our maternal grandfather took you as his son and hence you have no right to occupy the ancestral throne, especially when our pious and virtuous father, the erstwhile king, had elected me as his heir. Drikpati, after receiving the letter of Dakshin, declared war against his younger brother. After seven days of severe fighting Drikpati won and occupied the ancestral throne. King Dakshin went to central Cachhar and set up a beautiful capital on the banks of the river Barabakra, thereby expanding the State towards the south. King Dakshin, as the proverb goes, took away the heads of the fourteen soldiers with him while fleeing from Tribeg, the ancient capital of Tripura.
Since then the ancestors of Dakshin have been worshipping the heads of the Fourteen Gods. The descendants of Drikpati worshipped those headless Fourteen Gods for years together. Herein lies the significance of worshipping the heads of the Fourteen Gods by the Tipra community of Tripura.
Fourteen Gods
Fourteen heads are the symbol of Fourteen Gods. The Brahmanic scriptural manes were attributed to them. As the Gods were of the tribal kings they had their names in Kok-barok, the tribal language. The popular names of the Fourteen Gods are -Hara, Uma,Hari, Ma, Vani, Kumara, Ganapa, Bidhi, Kha, Abdi, Ganga, Sikhi, Kama and Himadri. The Kak-borok version of the names of the Fourteen Gods are Katar, Katar-ma, Burachha, Mailoma, Khuloma, Subrai Raja, Lampra, Toi Bubagra, Sangrama,Harung Bubagra, Nangkhtai Bubagra, Bachhua Bubagra, Thunirok and Banirok. There is a half-moon behind every head of the Fourteen Gods. The kings of Tripura have used the symbol of half-moon in their coins, in the throne, the royal seat, in temples and in old paintings. They are the claimants of the clan of Moon and thus they feel proud by using this symbol of half-moon.
Kharchi Festival
In ‘`Kharchi’ or ‘Khar-si’, ‘Khar’ means to flee, and the word ‘si’ means to know. That means a hint is given about the strategic means to flee from the battle field assessing the overall situation. On the other hand, sacrificing the soldiers of the opposite camp, making men of mud and sacrificing them in front of the Gods helps us to believe without hesitation that the genesis of the Fourteen Gods lies in war and conflicts. The kok-barok (tribal language) names of the Fourteen Gods have been Sanskritised. As the Manikya royal family of Tripura accepted the Brahminic Hindu religion, the inhabitants of Tripura have been giving a holy dip to the Fourteen Gods for the last five hundred years. Bathing in the water symbolises integration and amity.
The yearly festival of the Fourteen Gods is organised with pomp and splendor in the temple. Every year, on the eighth lunar day of the light fortnight of the month of Asadha (of Bengali era), the festival starts and continues for seven days at a stretch. The Gods are worshipped on the first day only and on the rest of the days of the whole year, the Gods, except three of them, are packed up. These three Gods are worshipped daily. The symbolic tribal Gods are made by cutting small bamboos. The main priest of this festival is called ‘Chantai’. Under him, lower in ranks, there are ‘Naran’, "Barifang’, ‘Yakchu’ and a number of ‘Galims’. The main duty of the ‘Galims’ is to immolate the beasts. While worshipping the Gods, the duties of all classes of priests have been fixed. One priest, named Khapangtinai performs a vital role in Kharchi Puja.
Another special feature of Kharchi Puja is that although the Fourteen Gods are basically Gods of the tribals, their worship has acquired universality. Today this festival is not restricted to a particular community. It is a unique instance of the mixed culture of Tripura. At the time of Kharchi Puja both the tribals and non-tribals along with all the others of different castes and creed assemble in the courtyard of the temple of the Fourteen Gods where songs of union are sung. This has united the people of Tripura in the bond of fraternity.
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