Agartala, July 2: The century-old traditional 'Kharchi Puja' will begin on Thursday in the erstwhile princely state's previous capital, Puran Habeli, now Khayerpur, 8 km north of Agartala.

Though the seven-day-long 'Kharchi Puja' and fair would formally start on Thursday, the traditional 'Snan Yatra' of 14 Hindu deities would take place on Wednesday evening.

In June-July, the century-old 14 Hindu deities are simultaneously worshipped in 'Kharchi Puja' with lakhs of people from various parts of the country and neighbouring Bangladesh participating in the colourful puja and fair, which is held every year with traditional fervour and rituals.

The annual 'Kharchi Puja' and festival are meant to cleanse the sins of mortal souls.

'Kharchi Puja' and Mela Committee chairman Ratan Chakraborty, also a BJP MLA, said that every year around 30 lakh devotees and tourists from various parts of the country take part in the unique puja and associated traditional rituals.

"If the weather remains favourable, the number of devotees and tourists would be more than the previous year. However, due to the troubles in Bangladesh, many people from the neighbouring country may not come this year," Chakraborty, former Minister and Tripura Assembly Speaker, told IANS.

Originally a Hindu tribals' festivity, the Puja is now observed by all communities and religions.

With colourful marquees, illumination, religious rites and chanting of 'mantras' amid drum beats, the festival features 14 deities -- Shiva, Durga, Vishnu, Laxmi, Saraswati, Kartik, Ganesha, Brahma, Abadhi (God of water), Chandra, Ganga, Agni, Kamdev and Himadri (Himalaya).

As per tradition, the week-long festival begins (in June-July) with a colourful procession accompanied by the Tripura police music band.

All deities and priests are escorted by Tripura Police personnel, who also present a guard of honour to the Chief Royal Priest 'Raj Chantaia'.

Notably, from the eight northeastern states, only the Tripura tableau was displayed in this year's Republic Day parade on Kartavya Path in New Delhi on January 26.

Historian and writer Salil Debbarma said that the worship begins with the dipping of 14 deities in the nearby Howrah river.

On October 15, 1949, Tripura came under the control of the Indian government after a merger agreement was signed between Kanchan Prabha Devi, then regent maharani, and the Indian Governor General. The merger agreement made it mandatory for the Tripura government to continue the sponsorship of 14 temples, including the Mata Tripura Sundari Temple (one of the 51 Shakti Peethas in the country), run by the Hindu princely rulers.

As per the merger agreement, the Tripura government has been bearing the festival's expenses for the past several decades.

"The state government is abiding by the 1949 merger agreement with the royal family to uphold the faith of the tribals year after year," Debbarma told IANS, adding that "Kharchi Puja" is the biggest festival for the Hindu tribals in the northeastern region.

Debbarma said: "For over 78 years and until 1838, Puran Habeli was the capital of then undivided Tripura, which included large parts of Sylhet, Brahmanbaria and Comilla districts of then East Pakistan and now Bangladesh."

It was King Krishna Manikya Bahadur (1760-1761) who shifted the capital from southern Tripura's Udaipur to Puran Habeli in 1760.

The temple of the 14 Gods constructed at that time still stands. In 1838, the capital was shifted to Agartala from Puran Habeli by King Krishna Kishore Manikya Bahadur (1830-1849). (IANS)

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