Jharkhand tribals celebrate traditional harvest festival 'Tusu'

Ranchi, Jan 18 (ANI): As the festivities of 'Makar Sankranti' came to an end, the fortnight-long celebrations of the tribal 'Tusu' harvest festival began in Jharkhand.

The 'Tusu' festival begins on January 15 every year, the next day of harvest festival of Makar Sankranti that is celebrated on January 14.

Locals were seen dancing gaily to drumbeats on Tuesday in Ranchi.

Villagers expressed their happiness and sought the Lord's blessings for prosperity.

"All the people in our village have collected and we are enjoying ourselves and conducting traditional celebrations. We are very happy and seek blessings from God," said Ram Saran, a villager.

Temple-like structures, known as 'Tusu', are carried to riverbanks by unmarried girls, accompanied by traditional songs and dances.

They are then submerged into the water after offering prayers.

'Tusu' is similar to harvest festivals, which take place in other parts of the country, and is celebrated by preparing food from newly harvested crops. Sweetmeats made out of jaggery are important food preparations of the festivities.

'Tusu' is stated to be symbolic emblem of goddess 'Tusu Devi', made of cardboard and decorated with colourful paper and female dolls, some reaching a height of even ten feet. This is prepared by group of chaste unmarried teenage girls a week before the actual festival and kept at the village for everyone to admire. (ANI)