As our quest for all things traditional that are losing themselves to the chores of time continues, we decided to head towards Purulia this year to witness the Tusu festival. Tusu Festival or Tusu Parob is a harvesting festival celebrated in the Chhota Nagpur region of Eastern India that includes Purulia, Bankura, Medinipur in West Bengal and parts of Bihar, Jharkhand and Odisha.
The last days of the Bengali “Poush” month always call in for a great feast of “pithe” and “patisapta”. The month-end also called the “Makar Sankranti” also calls for a number of celebrations across rural Bengal. So when Uttara Di graciously accepted our invitation to go to Purulia with us, there was little reason for us to not to visit Deulghata for the Tusu Parob. Further, visiting the age-old Deuls (temples) of Purulia was an added attraction.
What is Tusu Parob or Tusu Festival?
As I stated, Tusu Festival is a harvest festival. It begins on the last day of the Bengali month of Aghrayan (mid-December) and continues through the month of Poush, ending on Makar Sankranti. This day also marks the last day of winter harvesting and also the end of the agriculture year.
Tusu Festival is celebrated in different ways across the state. In Bankura and some other parts, Tusu is worshipped in round terracotta pots surrounded by lamps. In Purulia and some parts of Bihar and Jharkhand, it is celebrated around Chaudal (a rectangular structure made of bamboo and coloured papers). In Medinipur and some other areas of Bankura, Tusu is represented as a tiny doll, while in the Sunderban area, Tusu is depicted as Goddess Lakshmi.
