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.