Assam: 62nd Charak Puja celebrated at Kumdhirjhar in Nagrijuli

Folk festival Charak Puja was celebrated in Kumbhirjhar in Nagrijuli with a lot of enthusiasm and devotion on Thursday. It may be mentioned that  Nagrijuli celebrated its 62nd Charak puja which accounts for the villagers and thousands of people gathered in large numbers to celebrate the Puja. 

Charak Puja is held on the last day of the Chaitra month of the Hindu calendar which celebrates the marriage of the sun and the earth. The festival is devoted to Shiva and Durga. People living in the state, especially from the Bengali community, observe this charak puja every year which marks the last day (Songkranti) of the month of Chaitra (Choitro in the Bengali Calender).

The puja has been held since the time immemorial and the tradition still continues. It involves the worship of Shiva and Durga . In the idol one sees a single head consisting of two faces which is called ‘Charak’ The charak which comes from the word chakra or the wheel represents the movement of the sun.

The devotees witness many acts which are believed to be the result of tantra mantra.The most amazing part of this puja is when a sanyasi priest pierces a sharp hook at the bodies of participating sanyasi almost without any cut or injury. The bloodless piercing of sharp metals in the human body by the practitioner priest looks like a magic act. The hook held man then flew a circular path by the ropes fastened to the charak tree on one end and to the hook on the other . Some get their tongue pierced with multiple needles and move around the charak tree The charak puja starts with a month of fasting where the devotees live strictly on a fruit diet . The devotees believe that the charak puja helps one reach salvation.