.
Kudmi /Kurmi community is a dominant settled agricultural
class in Purulia, Bankura & West Midnapore districts of West Bengal. They
are also in numbers in the adjoining states of Jharkhand & Orissa. However,
with the passage of time they have settlement in other parts of
Bengal;particularly in Sundarban areas and even spread to Assam and Bangladesh.
Kudmis of Purulia
observe Sohrai in religiously and
merrily . It represents one of the most celebrated festivals in Purulia. Sohrai is now a community festival
irrespective of castes. It is also celebrated by the Munda tribal as well as
santhals with the same enthusiasm. However, the manner and customs differ region to region , local culture or transformation or infusion of
multi-culture gives local specific shapes to the occasion.
In Mundari language, Sohrai means the ceremony of
worshipping the deity presiding over
cattle. It is celebrated on the day following the new moon after the Dasai parab.
Sohara indicates the 16th day after the Dasai full moon. Sohrai coincides with the date of Kali Puja.
In a short, Sohrai represents the bondages between men and
animals. It is a festival in the honour of cows
. The festival has been with the
community since time immemorial. No records to its origin are found. There are
adages ,mythologies and stories to its origin. A very interesting story I read
and putting it from my memory.
The Lord Nirakar Shiva ( Bara Pahar)
created men and provided them with cattle to harvest food with a
condition that they will care the animals in a dignified way. In course of time men began forget
or rather disobeyed the verdicts . Cattles were put to heavy works round
the year, they were subject to beating or ill-fed. The cattle complaint to the Lord about their
miserable position. The Lord promised to visit
the situation in a dark night( Amabasya). The intelligent person
informed Lord’s coming in vigilance in advance to the headman. The Headman
alerted to fellow members. Thus, before the Lord reached , everybody cleaned
their Gosala(cowshed), decorated the cattle-shed, bathed the pets, put Shorai
grass on the roof,in the premises, cows were fed with delicious food etc. Just
imagine when a head of the state or a
minister visits an institution. On
seeing the arrangements the Lord returned and nullified the allegations. Again,complaint was raised by the animals.
Lord promised to visit the same.. The same results and again complaint lodged.
This became a practice and took a regular feature and turned into a ceremony focusing
animals.
Sohrai is of three day program.
The first day is called Newta. Newta signifies invitation. Newta starts with
the Amabasyya. The main function of Newta is called Kachi dewa. Pradips(earthen lamps) with four vertexs are made of Atap rice. It is lighted with
ghees. These are kept in cowsheds, in front of the doors, tulshi-manch and
other useable places. After a short
period when the light is no more,the pradips are burnt in wrapped sal-leaves and called pura-pitha-burnt pitha. These are given to the
animals and also eaten by the family members.In the mean time the horns of the
cattle are rubbed with oil mixed with vermillion and turmeric. During this day,
Shorai grass is collected and put on the roof
and doors of the cowshed. This is
as if Lord finds enough fodder in the house.
The second day of the ceremony is Jhahali. Garaiya puja is hold. As Amabasyya ends, the head or
his representatives take fast and bath before puja. He goes to the field and
bring a bunch of paddy crop on head. While he returns from the field he does
not talk with any body, comes silently. After reaching home mariars are built.
Mariar is the knitted paddy stalks..these are ornamental like and put on the
horns of cattle or hanged on the body of the animals. Again, marries are put on
the doors and other important places of the house.
In every village there is a team of Jahali Bula, who rounds the village
,knocks every house ,chants ,dances and blesses the households early in the
morning. A seat of worship is marked in the right or east direction. The seat
is decorated with ronguli made of atap-dust. The plow, mai,jowals ,kural
accessories for cultivation are kept there. Two statues of dissimilar heights
are built. They are represented as deities. Deities are decorated with yellow
flowers of Sargunja on top. Garai deity
is given pithas. Cows are also
given this delicious items. The cows are
taken for bath. In the mean time ranguli (chokhpura)is marked from the entrance
of house up to the cowshed. The cattle enter crossing the chokpura . They are
worshipped.
In the evening the village brand team sings and dances and collects
revenues for the programme.
The third day is Nimcha. Dhup-dhuna is spread on the cowshed,houses and
streets to avoid evil powers on cattle. On this day the cowboy is well fed and
rewarded for his service. The cows are stamped with colors.
In the evening Badna parab starts. A bull is tied on a rope and teased
with a raw skin to make it furious.
Villagers assemble make shouts,beat drums to see the tolerance and
strength of the animal.
This is the normal routine of Shorai.
