Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha Inaugurates Kharchi Puja Festival
On Sunday, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha highlighted the importance of educating the new generation about the historical background of the Kharchi Puja and its fourteen deities. He stressed that the tradition of this festival will remain elusive if future generations are not informed about its history and background.
Saha made these remarks while inaugurating the 7-day traditional Kharchi Puja and festival at the Chaturdash Devta temple in old Agartala, Khayerpur. He also announced a public holiday on the final day of the Kharchi festival, July 20, to encourage more people to participate in the celebrations.
Expressing his happiness to participate in the festival once again, Saha reminisced about his childhood, recalling how eagerly he waited for Kharchi Puja despite the challenges of attending it back then. He mentioned the difficulties of crossing a rapid river by boat to attend the festival and how he felt blessed to return home safely.
Saha explained that three of the fourteen deities are worshiped regularly at the temple, and during Kharchi Puja, the rest of the gods and goddesses are also worshiped for seven days. He emphasized the need to inform the next generation about these histories to preserve the tradition.
The Chief Minister also highlighted the importance of such fairs and cultural traditions in strengthening the bond of unity and brotherhood among the people of the nation. Other notable attendees included area MLA Ratan Chakraborty, Tourism Minister Sushanta Chowdhury, former Minister Rampada Jamatia, Mayor and MLA of Agartala Municipal Corporation Dipak Majumdar, and MLA Sapna Debbarma.
