Shall Fear Take Charge Over The Traditional Tusu Songs?-Lend It Your Thoughts

One interesting part of Tusu festival is its tradition. The tradition it comes with has highly encouraged young women’s creativity. This is in the sense that if their songs are worthy, they will be remembered by all. Usually both young and old women together sing these tusu songs. The tradition of singing songs is help up as a strategy meant for preservation of oral history.

Unfortunately, the tradition of tusu festival has been jeopardized to a great extent. Tusu possessions that used to happen in villages earlier, has now taken the shape of rarity. Hardly shall you get to see those colorful tusu processions in the villages. On an addition, the rituals have become obsolete. The main reason for this is that it is tusu competitions that have taken the shape of major events. The rituals are now followed hardly for one day. It can be rightly said that it is the cash prized luring people to indulge more and more in the competitions and are wiping away the traditional rituals slowly.

[A singer singing Tusu song at a talent hunt]

However, as of Purulia, the tusu competition is not held on Makar Sankranti but on the 23rd of January. On an addition, it cannot be missed saying that tusu songs in the recent past have been taken up as the theme tunes for many social activity groups as well as the political parties. Their commercial usage has extended to such an extent that today women fear singing these songs in the public in case any political
leader happens to overhear and get angry. Also tusu
songs are taken up as a special fold song category by the professional singers. You can now easily avail CDs and DVDs on tusu song from music stores. Also various commercial Videos on Tusu songs and dance are available for free over YouTube.

Whether the fear of commercialization or the political groups silence the melodious tusu songs of the tribal women now remains entirely in the form of a question!!!

Tusu Festival by The Kurmis of Jharkahnd and A brief about the Food They Make During These Festive days

While it is Makar Sankranti that is celebrated on the last day of Pous, for the Kurmi tribes of Jharkhand, it is Tusu Puja. They celebrate this colorful day by indulging in songs and dance and having gur peetha. Peetha is looked upon as a prominent dish not just for Makar Sankranti but also for Tusu festival. Made of rice husk, flour, suji or semolina, grated coconut and gur or jiggery, peetha comes in different shape and is also prepared in different methods. They enhance the mood of this festival.

The celebration starts one day prior to Makar Sankranti and on the day of makar Sankranti, a grand celebration is organized. For the Kurmi tribes, celebration of Tusu Puja is looked upon as a symbol of prosperity. The rituals are somewhat similar to that followed by the tribal group of Purulia and here they link it to the harvest festival. During this season, a small amount of the crop known as Dilli Budhi is left in the field untouched and it cut on the day of Aghan sanrant i.e December 14^th.

Dilli Budhi is after that taken back to homes and for the next one month, it is worshipped along with Goddess tusu. Each the Kurmis organize a grand prayer session at least for a day in this month at their home. On the 14 th of January i.e. the eve of Makar Sankranti, tusu idol is immersed in water. It is actually followed by a dance and song procession. Idols in Ranchi are usually immersed in River Swarnarakha.

Post makar Sanksranti and Tusu puja, grand fairs are organized in the village and this continues for a day or two. People gather here and indulge in songs and dance. Altogether, the kurmis celebrate this festival with great joy and happiness.

Tusu Puja- Analyzing The Difference In Rituals Followed By The Tribals Of Bankura And Purulia

For every puja, some core ingredients are required. The same is applicable for tusu puja as well. However, the ways these ingredients are used differ from one place to another. Here in this note, you are going to know more about the same.

Purulia

In Purulia, the celebrations centre around the Chaudal. The chaudal or four sided palanquin is a rectangular shaped structure made from bamboo and bright colored paper. Some box-kites are glued to it and the structure is made quite tall, somewhat around feet. Worship in Purulia belt is aniconic i.e. there no idols are worshipped here. However, as of the present time, images are seen. Chauri, the seed protectress, is worshipped on the first day of the three days long celebration. Chauri is accompanied by goddess Chandi (another name for goddess kali) and with Rohini, the woman who is believed to have discovered the first seeds. On the day of the festival, all the rice is brought from the farm to the house and then on the second day, small bundles are made and placed in the granary for the coming year’s harvest. It is on this day that the chaudal is bought and inside it, two cow dung balls are palced which respesnt the union of the female and male qualities in the form of sacred couple Tusi (female) and Tusa (male). Together they lead to the formation of Tusu.

Bankura

In certain parts of West Bengal such as Bankura, all the ingredients for the puja are placed carefully in a round shaped terracotta pot which is surrounded by tiny lamps. the main ingredient used for this puja is rice husks over which 5 or 7 or 9 cow dung balls are placed. Along with this, some rice and crown flower or akana, vermillion or haldi, flowers of mustard and radish, marigolds and other auspiciuous objects are placed together. The earthen pot used is called Alo-Khala or Tusu Khala as because lamps (Alo in Bengali) are placed around its rim. This pot is placed carefully in the niche or kulungi in the wall and during the evening, women sit around it and sing tusu songs.

Tusu Songs- Their Usage In The Older And Modern Era

Not just the name but also the rituals related to Tusu festival are highly enticing. Talking of Purulia, Goddess Tusu is welcomed here with songs sung by women. They wake up early morning, keep fast, get the household chores done and then go ahead with the rituals of this puja. Specially on the eve of Makar Sankranti, they keep a fast and sing throughout the night. The older tusu songs usually are known as “fertility songs”. Through these songs people plead to goddess tusu for a plentiful harvest. Though were sung in the older days, even today they are popular for their plaintive melody. Interestingly, the older tusu songs were not accompanied by any instruments.

Tusu Songs- How they were used years ago

According to the tribal group here, these songs were popularly meant for offering respect to Tusu. Known as “jagaran songs”, they were looked upon as a mode of awakening her- the goddess of fertility and virgin unplanted earth. However, the traditional belief  that still prevails is that Tusu symbolizes a mother, friend, daughter, a lover and a protector whom women can pour their hearts out to. Thus the older songs dealt with welcoming the goddess and expressing to her their joys, sorrows, longings as well as struggles.

Tusu Songs in the Modern age

[A group performing Tusu dance at a cultural event in Port Blair]

As of the modern times, this concept has undergone wide change. Now they are used for not just ritualistic reasons  but also for non -ritualistic purposes too- as protest against immorality, political songs, commercial love songs and even as material for school level competitions. Also the most notable change found with tusu songs of the modern era is that they are now accompanied by instruments.

A current tusu song adheres to the following imagery:

Tusu has picked up a sickle in her hand

And she is going to harvest that rice

which is grown with blood.

Landholders will come rushing up

[But] Tusu has courageously made up her mind

She holds the sickle with a firm grip

A comparison of Tusu celebration in Bengal and Jharkhand

Celebration of Tusu festival is not just limited to Bengal but as extended reach to Jharkhand, Orissa and Assam too. While the celebratory rituals followed in Assam is way different from Bengal, so it is with both Jharkhand and Orissa as well. A close comparison between the celebration style adhered in Bengal and Jharkhand is something worth considering. In Bengal, while it is most commonly observed Purulia district whereas in Jharkhand, the regions celebrating this festival are Tamar, Raidih and Bundu. This entire belt of Jharkhand is well known for their movement for India’s Independence.

Celebration of  in Jharkhand

Coming to the rituals followed in Jharkhand during tusu festival, the most prominent one is the decoration of a bamboo or wooden frame by the unmarried girls. They use colored paper for the same and offer it to the nearby hilly river as a gift. Tusu puja here is also celebrated in the name of unmarried girls. Though not enough historical evidence is available for tusu celebration in Jharkhand but a huge rich collection of songs filled with the true taste of life is left behind. These songs reveal the innocence and simplicity of the tribal people here.

Celebration in Bengal

Stepping towards Bengal’s Purulia, here the tribals begin preparation of the festival a month before the arrival of Pous. Here people look towards Tusu as Goddess Lakshmi and hence they worship her for a better harvest. For the tribals here, tusu parab is synonymous to Sankranti. The festival here commences from the mid-week of December i.e. on the first day of pous when nabanna (made with the new paddy) is offered to Irti-another form of the Jaathel festival of the Santhals. Tusu festival in Bengal eventually ends with Makar Sankranti.  In Bengal, both married and unmarried women take part in the festival but certain rituals are specific for the unmarried girl folk only. On a whole, the rituals of tusu festival in both Bengal and Jharkhand are worth viewing.

Tusu Puja: A prime festival of Assam’s Tea Tribes

Celebration of the Tusu festival or puja is not simply limited to Bengal and Jharkhand but has extended reach to the Tea hub of the nation Assam as well. Tribal groups in this state worship the deity not for a good harvest but as a symbol of love and sacrifice. Alike all other festivals celebrated here, this festival too is celebrated in a vibrant manner by the dwellers of all the tea gardens in Assam. Talking of Assam in particular, it is a colorful land being house to people belonging to various tribes, communities, religions and cultures. Of all these, it is the tea tribes of this state forming a vital part of the vast Assamese society.

[Tusu Puja being performed by Tea Tribes of Tezpur, Assam]

Chawtal, Kol, Kharia, Gonju, Munda, Chawra are some of the prominent Tea tribes of Assam.These tribal groups celebrate numerous festivals such as Karam Puja, Tusu Puja, Durga Puja, Lashmi Puja and others. However among all of these, it is Tusu and Karam Puja which are of prime importance. It is interesting to know that unlike the story that is hitched to the origin of Tusu festival, that relied upon in Assam is different. Tusu Devi for the tea tribes is looked upon as the “Folk goddess”. Though the Hindu community residing here compares Goddess Tusu to Goddess Sita, Durga and Kali, but the traditional rituals of this puja is way different from others.

According to the legend adhered in Assam, it is believed that Tusu or Rukmini was the daughter of Gujrat’s Kurmi King. It is during the Mughal rule in India that he and his family was forced to run away from his kingdom and eventually landed up taking shelter at King Birbal’s kingdom- who was then the king of Punjab. It is during these days that Rukmini or Tusu and Sitaram(Birbal’s son) fell in love but it was the then Mughal emperor who created hindrance in their relationship. To save himself and his family, the king of Gujrat left Punjab and met the Bhumijs and Chawtals. Eventually the King of Bhumij got Tusu married to Sitaram but unfortunately Sitaram died after few days and Tusu killed herself jumping into her husband’s funeral pyre.  Tusu here stand as a symbol of love and sacrifice. She is worshipped as a “pure soul” and is sometime related to Mata Sita and Sati Sabitri.

[A Girl belonging to the tea tribe in her traditional attire during tusu Puja]

During the festive season, Tusu statues are made by sculptures and these are decorated with flower and mud beautifully. Young girls and boys carry the statues from one house to another narrating her story through songs. Young girls dress up in the traditional attire and tie a handkerchief on the head and dance to the music. Here unlike Bengal, music is accompanied by instruments to enhance the ambience these songs create. People here look upon Tusu as their favorite goddess who stands for virtue, kindness, sacrifice and love.

Tusu Dance- A Brief Entertainment For The Deity

Bengal is a land known for its rich cultural heritage and festivities. Almost all the regions of this colorful state have a certain folk music and dance hitched to them. It is interesting to note that all of these folk traditions are actually related to certain specific festival and is performed during that festive season only. Such is the tale of Tusu Dance. Owing its existence to Birbhum district, this particular dance is performed during the Bengali month of Pous which according to the Georgian calendar happens to be from December 15^th to January 15^th. Tusu dance in particular is related to Tusu Parab which is celebrated here on Makar Sankranti i.e. the last day of Pous.

Women folk entertain goddess tusu with their dance and songs throughout the season…

Tusu dance is performed by the women folk here on the arrival of the pleasant and auspicious harvest season. Girls in group from the villages here go to the river each evening throughout the month of Pous where they enjoy themselves by singing and dancing together. On the eve of Makar Sankranti, together at the riverside they gather for worshipping the idol of Tusu Goddess which they made particularly from pure cow-dung and clay. It is said that though both married and unmarried women take part in the festival, it is the unmarried women folk who entertain the deity through their dance and song seeking good groom.

Analyzing the rituals of Tusu dance

The melodious tusu song with girls grooving to the beats enhance the festive ambience. Dances are also performed by men and are known as “Bhaduriya salia.” According to the tusu dance rituals, while women move in anti-clockwise direction, men are supposed to move in the clockwise direction. This dance however needs to be particularly performed by men and women who are unmarried. In certain places, it is necessary to be carried out by a girl who is still virgin. Before commencing their performance, it is must for all the dancers to go to the river and have a ceremonial bath. However the most enticing part of this dance is that though the dance will be followed by melodious songs but no musical instrument will accompany the songs.

Tusu and its Origin- A Brief Throwback

“Ja Ja Tusu Ja Ja Lo                                         

Dekha Geche Tor Pirit Lo

Tor Prite Mon Maane Na

Boli Tor Pirite Agun Jole Na…”

This song by Souvik Chatterjee will surely make you groove to its beats. Adding a positive vibe to this festive ambience, it makes one anxious about the story associated with “Tusu”. Looking back to its origin, it needs to be mentioned that neither the name of the festival nor its origin is certain but it is said that the name “Tusu” has been derived from “Tus” (chaff) or “Nakshatra” (the constellation) of “Tisya”- the star, which forms during the festival. Some are of the view that the word is derived from “Tosh” (a Bengali term) which means lively and fresh.

Legends related to the name “Tusu”

As per legends, “tusu” is a term abbreviated from “Tusumoni”- who was a beautiful princess but gave up her life jumping into a nearby river to avoid losing her chastity to some Muslin conquerors. Again some are of the view that it is the word “Tushya” which owes credit for the name. They believe that “Tushya” like “Sujata” was known to be a Buddhist mendicant who around 2,000 years ago wandered lonely throughout the Jangal Mahal region spreading views regarding female emancipation.

Origin of the festival

Moving on with the origin of this festival, as per some, it is the Shushunia Hills, Bankura where Tusu was first celebrated. On the other hand, few other folklorists connect the origin of Tusu to the worship of Toshali Debi who is believed to be the goddess of agricultural folk. Tusu itself is a fertility festival which is celebrated throughout the harvesting season. It is interesting to note about a debate which prevails saying that traditionally Tusu was celebrated by only the Kurmis tribe residing along the Chotta Nagpur belt. Adding on, it is said that since then the celebration of Tusu was adopted by other communities like the Mundas, Oraons and Bhumij and also spread to communities residing along various parts of Bengal such as Hoogly, Bardhaman, Sundarban areas and Birbhum. One can also relish the joy of “Tusu” far in Assam and North Bengal. Altogether, the north eastern and eastern region of India becomes colorful during this festive season.