GROW TURMERIC: Makar Sankarti, Tusu & Akhan Yatra: Manbhum

GROW TURMERIC: Makar Sankarti, Tusu & Akhan Yatra: Manbhum: Makar Sankarti, Tusu & Akhan Yatra: Manbhum People in Baghmundi,Ajodhya Hills fervently wait for the   Makar day. Th...

Makar Sankarti, Tusu & Akhan Yatra: Manbhum

Makar Sankarti, Tusu & Akhan Yatra: Manbhum

People in Baghmundi,Ajodhya Hills fervently wait for the  Makar day. The festive mood gets momentum as it nears to the end of Pous month. In Manbhum Tusu worship starts with the  beginning of Pous and runs throughout the month and ends on the day of Makar Sankarnt.

Tusu-festival is the biggest festival in Manbhum areas. It is religiously, strictly and merrily celebrated among the kurmi-community who are  well settled  in Purulia,Bankura and West Midnapore. This festival is also pompously celebrated in Jharkhand and its adjacent areas falling in Odisha and Bihar.  I have had the opportunity to see Tusu in Arsha block (Deughata), Joypur ,Jhaldah and Baghmundi  in earlier occasions. This year I missed it. I missed the melodious tusu songs. However, I feel the clarion before Makar  Sankarnti : ‘Wait two days.. Makar is coming’ ( Asche maker du din sabur kor’.. yea.. the virgin girls – the devotees of Tusi are waiting for one month.. they will finally end their  last rituals on Makar Day. On that day girls will go to the river, sacred place for immersion of Tusu Deity. They will bid farewell to their adorned Tusumoni.  Farewell will take place in gorgeous procession. This is the women-led  function. They will wear new attires,  carry colourful Choudals in group.  They will compete each other in terms of decorative Chodals and sizes. I have seen 20- 40 ft. Tall Choudals being carried by them. In many places rewards are given to the toppers. I could recollect the prize money as high as Rs.50,000 for the best Choudal. However,   participation is counted more than money.

Choudal is as good as four-square temple tapering in the top. It is made by the locally available San-Kathi  & Baka Bhera sticks. It is covered by beautiful colored papers. Its outlook is finished with bamboo-crafts. No mud is touched within or outside the Choudal. No deity is placed within the Choudal. 

Tusu- festival is traditional  and its beginning period is unknown. There are legends, folk-witnesses, historical , mythological  and anthropogenic  attempts to codify  Tusu-festival’s origin. All  have not furnished  dates of origin. However, these are beyond my comprehension. Only I found Tusu is loved, adorned by all. She is the symbol of purity and chastity. She was brave and marvellous in look.

The merit I found in Tusu festival is the collective action of Women. Women power and respect is honoured irrespective of genders and boundaries.

Every day in the evening girls sit together, light up candles and sings in the name of Tusu. An earthen pot filled with Tush and cowdung  made two balls represent Tusu & Tusumoni. These are coveed with marigold flowers . In the final day they come out with their collective power in the streets. They sing and dance  happily. They immerse the pots after taking holy dip. At the same time Choudals are brought & immersed.

I have seen long processions in the bank of Subarnarekha,where Choudals are immersed. Before that Girls bathe in the water ,wear new cloths and   bid to their Choudals. Where rivers are not flowing some sacred tanks or ponds are earmarked for tusu immersion. In Jhaldam Churlaghata is a sacred place for immersion. Now a days Choudals are immersed partly. That is Choudals are kept for some other days  carrying forward the program for some days. In Jhalda I saw Choudals are initially taken to  Churgaghata. Partial rituals on Tusa are made there on Makar day,then  these are brought to Satighata next day for final ceremony.  Similarly ,I was informed that many keep their Choudals to attend Bansingh Mela.  At Bansing  fabulous rewards are given to the best ones.  Similarly, the tradition of Tusa has been extended to Satya Mela . Satya Mela is celebrated in the name of freedom fighters. 

I wish to be in Manbhum, particularly in Ajodhya surroundings for two reasons: one for celebrating Tusu  & another for Pithas.  There are diverse delicious pithas are made in every home. Khapra pitha, gurpitha, Charpas like Mansa Charpa, Laucharpa, Kachu charpa, sim charpar are delicious recipes.

Makar Sankranti is the last day of Kurmi-calender. After Makar New Year starts , it is named Akhan Jatra.

Wishing all a happy maker sankranti.

A tale of a Nursey builder: Sushil Bhakta

A round through Kalyani is amazing, everywhere you will see exquisite trees & flowers, numerous green parks fastened with  mind refreshing  trees,  roads & pathways bearing  specific trees. looking at  household-premises   you would enjoy eye-catching  flowers. In fact,Kalyani dwellers have become connoisseurs of greens. I seldom find a city  other than Kalyani  that boasts of  both traditional and exotic flower plants. However,  I could remember those days when Kalyani transformed from Notified township to Municipality. Once I had the opportunity to see a flower exhibition in Kalyani. It was a gala event. There were many competitors showing their exhibits. I was surmised that maximum prizes were bagged by a young guy named Sushil Bhakta.  Be it shade plants or flower cuts or bonsai event  Bhakta was atop. That was my first aquaintance with Sushilda.  Param Dayal -the name of his nursery enterprise own my heart from that very day.

That time Sushilda had his nursery at the brink of Bansberiaghat, Rathtala. It was under the char Kanchrapara.  Sushilda took lease of lands near to the flowing Ganges and transformed it to a greenery park.  The name of his nursery was levelled Param Dayal from the beginning.  A religious minded Sushil da always thinks it is the gift of  his Guru who blessed him with a means for living.  Sushilda has been  nature lover all along from childhood. In his words "Strong passion for trees and flowers drove me in setting up a nursery". A poor and landless youth with positive determination started self-employed nursery business. His capital was only love for nature.Within a short period his fame spread surroundings.  Everything was going well but time went down during 2000.  Consecutive two years' floods destroyed his nursery. Soonerm he became unemployed but unnerved. By this time he was searching for right land. He approached the then Chairman,Kalyani Municipality with his innovative idea of setting up nursery in the uncleaned abandoned lands. He identified unused fallow lands besides the creek(kalyani Khal). His dream  came to light after several rounds of official  norms. Finally ,he re-started  Parm dayal Nursery 2001 with new vigor at kalyani .  The path of Sushil Bhakta  revolutionized the architect of abandoned lands to a beautiful shape. Many ,at least 100 nurseries gradually sprang up along the creek.  These nurseries have indirect effect upon the Kalyani city skying aesthetic values ,people  here have now ease access to plants and flowers.  Many youths,particularly women  have been employed in this profession.
Param Dayal is now a reputed nursery. Currently it  imports plants from other countries.I find fresh breath in the nursery.

  

Sushil Da is pioneer in spreading nursery movement  in Kalyani.  Kalyani is proud of him.  His flower- harvest earned reputation of this City at district as well as state level .
 Let us give big hands to him.

Krishi Ratna Sachindra – A drought fighter of Jungle Mahal

The more I move around the  jungle -mahal, specifically in Ajodhya Hills range  the more I become surprised.  Suffice it to say I am enriched with diverse experience from the terrain as well as from the poor but innovative farming community.  In fact,I had a mission of introducing  cash-crops like turmeric under rain-fed situation. This mission I inherited as I grew up in Paschimanchal and as I saw droughts and its impact from close. I thought if turmeric could  change the life style of tribal in Kandhamahal,Odisha then  why it could not be translated in Paschimanchal.Thus, with the turmeric   I came across from Jamboni ,W.Midnapore to Khatra,Bankura to Ajodhya Hills ,Purulia & so on.  Almost everywhere  I  got tremendous response.  Everyone wants to get rid of drought.  Undoubtedly, drought should be fought with other feasible crops. Again I believe  there is a need for composite system including agriculture,horticulture, animal husbandry ,fishery and small scale rural industry. After all there is need for innovative,aggressive  and challenging youths who will reap appropriate technology in reality. There is  demand for entrepreneurs at grass root level. I am lucky that I met some guys who showed the rays in Paschimanchal. I want their success story be given to others  for inspiration.

I am applauded with the strength of women , ShGs, Farmer’s  body, rural clubs  etc. etc who are relentlessly trying for the welfare of Paschimanchal.  I have stated elsewhere where Government establishment including Paschim anchal Unnayan Parshad  taking strong position for uplift of the drought prone areas. I also saw how agricultural experts are  deeply involved  in changing  livelihoods of  backward areas. It is not always success everywhere. However, mammoth success anywhere  touches my heart.  I shall tell a tale of hero who overcame drought in most awkward  terrain of Ajodhya Hill areas,

 My hero is  Sachindranath  Mahato.  A slim stout firm personality  with glazed eyes  has been fighting against drought for the last five years. He hails from  Ghorabandha village,Baghmundi which is five kms from Charida- the birth place of legendry  Guru Gambhir Singh Mura . I could recall sordidly that the Guru lived under abject poverty.  The entire area is undulating, un-irrigated and infertile.  Local trees like palash, arjun were abundant once upon a time. Now, these are vanished and barren lands are visible. People are  here dependent on rain-God. Monocrop is the chief characteristics of Ghorabandha and surroundings.  Sachi  grew up under this adversity. He has experienced the curse of irregular rains, he saw droughts many times. He had to leave home in search of food many times.  From his boyhood he dreamt  to overcome the situation.  Amidst poverty his father showed the way of struggle for existence.  Sachi could remember how did his father sowed  a few mango saplings which bloomed today. Sooner, his quest for survival and doing orchards drew the attention of  horticulture department.  With departmental support he managed 500 mango saplings. From then he did not turn back. He made a camp  at the outskirt of village and stayed there without thatch to care the saplings . Thereafter, he began for other searches. I was fortunate that my turmeric seed reached to a genuine farmer. This year Sachi  got about 3 qtls of turmeric as an inter-crop. I found him aggressive . He took the risk of growing Kharif-onion . Today he let me informed that he got Rs. Fifteen thousand from Kharif onion. Further,  this year  he put ol( elephant foot) amidst  mango trees.  Size of each tuber was between 2.5 to 3 kg.  He told me “ Sir I will not sell OL, I am keeping those for next year. This crop along with turmeric is wonderful crops under rainfed condition”. I thanked him. Today he was in a gay mood and non-stopping in tele-chat.  I was listening to his success on other crops. Reply came” Sir I also intercropped in my orchard with chilly. Vegetables, This year I harvested mangoes first time.. I got more than Rs. Fifteen thousand  on sale...Sir please come and see my orchard again”.

Sachi has  diversified his other activities. He is now owner of many desh-poultry birds. He  is also  proud of his  goat-herds. I was overjoyed to hear “Sir come this time. You can stay in my hut..I have made a decent cottage in my orchard complex”.

I  also came to know that his innovative works  have been recognized. Sachi was honoured by  the title Krishi Ratna-of the Block.  Interestingly, Sachi led  rallies for farm-diversification  organized by the agriculture department in his block .

“ Is there any body following your path”?-I asked

-“Yes Sir, Rabi Mahato  is now my  follower. Rabi takes tips  frequently. Apart there are other two guys who  are readying for orchards. Sir, many will follow in future. “

Sachi demonstrated feasible crops under rain fed. He has woven a system of agriculture, horticulture, animal husbandry & poultry.

Sachi is my  warrier against drought.