Charak Puja

2026-04-15T17:30:36Z

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{{Short description|Hindu folk festival}}
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{{more citations needed|date=December 2022}}
{{tone|date=October 2015}}
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{{Infobox holiday
| holiday_name = Charak Puja
| type = Indian festival
| longtype = [[Hinduism|Hindu]]
| image = Twenty-four plates by S. C. Belnos 006.jpg
| caption = Illustration of Charak Puja from ''Twenty-four plates illustrative of Hindoo and European Manners in Bengal'' (1832) by Sophie Charlotte Belnos (1795–1865)
| official_name =
| nickname = Nil Puja, Hajrha Puja
| observedby = [[Hindus]]
| begins =
| ends =
| date =
| date2009 =
| celebrations =
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| relatedto = [[Gajan (festival)|Gajan]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://bangla.aajtak.in/dharm-religion/festivals/story/charak-puja-2024-date-hindu-folk-festival-rituals-in-honor-of-the-deity-shiva-charak-in-west-bengal-before-noboborsho-1431-puja-performed-by-scheduled-caste-soc-978973-2024-04-13|title=Charak Puja 2024 Rituals: চড়ক পুজোর পৌরোহিত্য করেন পতিত ব্রাহ্মণেরা, জানুন প্রচলিত লোক সংস্কৃতির অজানা কাহিনি|website=AajTak Bangla}}</ref>
| significance =
| duration = 1 day
}}

'''Charak Puja''' or '''Pachamara Mela''' (also known as ''Chadak'', ''Nil Puja'' or ''Hajrha Puja'')<ref>from Syncretism, Narratives. "[https://hpuniv.ac.in/hpuniv/upload/uploadfiles/files/HPUJ-June-2022-issue.pdf Mid-Seventeenth-Century Mughal Bengal: A Study of Social Transformation and Narratives from Syncretism to Conflict]." ''Himachal Pradesh University Journal'': 45.</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Oddie |first=Geoffrey A. |title=Popular religion, elites, and reform : hook-swinging and its prohibition in colonial India, 1800-1894 |date=1995 |publisher=Manohar Publishers & Distributors |isbn=81-7304-101-6 |location=New Delhi |oclc=33970904}}</ref> is part of the [[Bengali Hindu]] folk [[festival]] of [[Gajan (festival)|Gajan]], held in honor of the deity [[Shiva]] or [[Dharmathakur]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Bhaumik |first1=Sudarshana |title=Locating Dharmamangal in the Rarh Bengal: A Brief Analysis of its Social Significance |journal=Vidyasagar University Journal of History |volume=6 |pages=127–135 |url=http://inet.vidyasagar.ac.in:8080/jspui/bitstream/123456789/4502/1/Sudarshana%20Bhaumik.pdf |access-date=22 August 2024}}</ref> The Gajan festival includes numerous forms of austerities like [[firewalking|walking on hot coals]] or [[Body piercing|piercing the body with metal rods]];<ref>{{cite book |last1=Nicholas |first1=Ralph W. |last2=Curley |first2=David L. |title=Rites of spring: Gā̄jan in village Bengal |date=2008 |publisher=Chronicle Books |location=New Delhi |isbn=978-8180280351 |pages=4–5 |url=https://archive.org/details/ritesofspringgaj0000nich/mode/2up}}</ref> Charak refers to the practice of [[Suspension (body modification)|hook-swinging]] which generally is the last [[penance]] performed during the festival.

Gajan and Charak Puja is primarily practiced in the Indian state of [[West Bengal]] and in a few parts of [[Assam]] among the Bengali Hindu Community and also in [[Bangladesh]], but hook-swinging is traditionally practiced in other parts of India as well like [[Kavadi Aattam|kavadi]] in Tamil Nadu.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Oddie |first1=Geoffrey A. |title=Popular religion, elites and reforms: hook-swinging and its prohibition in colonial India, 1800 - 1894 |date=1995 |publisher=Manohar |location=New Delhi |isbn=8173041016}}</ref>

The preparation usually starts a month in advance. The people responsible for the arrangement of the festival go from village to village to procure the necessary components like [[Paddy (unmilled rice)|paddy]], [[oil]], [[sugar]], [[salt]], [[honey]], [[money]] and other items needed for the ritual. At [[midnight]] of [[sankranti|Songkranti]], the worshippers gather to worship Shiva and Ma Durga for success. Afterwards a [[Puja (Hinduism)|puja]], the [[Prasad (food offering)|prasad]] (Items blessed by the deity) are distributed.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-iYoAAAAYAAJ |title=Asiatic Journal and Monthly Register for British and Foreign India, China and Australasia |date=1839 |publisher=Wm. H. Allen & Company |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://epaper.assamtribune.com/opinion/charak-puja-shivas-festival-of-pain-power-penitence-lives-on-in-mayong-1592851|title=Charak Puja: Shiva's festival of pain, power & penitence lives on in Mayong|first=The Assam|last=Tribune|date=September 28, 2025|website=epaper.assamtribune.com}}</ref>

[[File:Charak - Indian Museum, Kolkata R.13413.jpg|thumb|Charak Puja in an [[East India Company]] era painting, 19th century CE, at the [[Indian Museum]].]]
[[File:Charak festival.jpg|right|thumb|Charak festival in [[Kolkata]] in 1849]]

==Charak Puja in Bangladesh==
In Bangladesh, it frequently takes place in [[Moulvibazar District|Moulvibazar]], [[Thakurgaon District|Thakurgaon]] district, and [[Galachipa Upazila]] of the [[Patuakhali District]]. Goalkhali, Gabua, Haridebpur, Lalua, Lohalia, and other villages are well known for "Charak Puja".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Dey |first=Subrata |date=14 April 2020 |title=Sacrifice for the hope |pages=5 |work=tbsnews.net |url=https://www.tbsnews.net/feature/sacrifice-hope-68983 |access-date=14 April 2020}}</ref> Though the aristocracy and frequency of the festival is being deemed now, it is still being performed regularly by people with an uncommon amount of devotion. For them it's a part of their life. The Most popular festival "Charak Puja" is found at places like Dholar [[Haat bazaar|Haat]], Akcha, Gorea, Khochabari(Singia), Hothath para at Thakurgaon Sadar, same places of Tripura Dhalai District like Kamalpur and Kulai.

==Bagad and Sirimanu==
In Maharashtra Bagad (Marathi language: बगाड) in Andhra pradesh [[Sirimanothsavam|Sirimanu festival]] is a religious festive tradition, where a [[ceremonial pole]] from an [[tree worship|auspicious tree]] is venerated. In some villages, [[Yatra|jatra]]s in honour of local deities in [[Maharashtra]] & [[Andhra Pradesh]] are performed. Bagad is a similar concept to Charak Puja, [[Gajan (festival)]] or Indian parallel of Mexican [[Danza de los Voladores]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mid-day.com/news/opinion/article/the-hook-swinging-rituals-of-india-23618778|title=The hook-swinging rituals of India|date=March 1, 2026|website=Mid-day}}</ref>

==See also==
* {{section link|Banawadi|Banawadi Bagad}}
* [[Gajan (festival)]]
* [[Sirimanothsavam]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{commons category-inline}}
* [http://www.dailyjanakantha.com Janakantha] "by Shankar Lal Dash, 13 April 2008

{{Hindu festivals}}

[[Category:Hindu festivals]]
[[Category:Religious festivals in India]]
[[Category:Religious festivals in Bangladesh]]
[[Category:Hindu festivals in Bangladesh]]

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Charak Puja