Tusu Parab - a Fest of Harvest

Image credit: Dibyendu Mrugaraj

The month of Poush (December-January) is the time for winter revelries for the people of West Bengal. The last day of this month, called Poush Sankranti or Makar Sankranti is the time to celebrate the harvest of ‘Aman’ crops and various communities have their own colourful customs. It is during this time the Kudmi community residing in the ‘Rarh’ region of West Bengal celebrate Tusu Parab or Makar Parab, which is also one of their biggest festivals. Celebrated mainly in the Purulia district and also parts of Bankura and Birbhum district, it is a folk festival which goes on for a month starting on the last day of Agrahayan month and concludes on the last day of Poush.

The Kudmi are an agrarian community, and most of their festivals are centred on the harvest of crops, especially paddy. Common belief says that the word ‘Tusu’ originated from the Bangla word ‘tush’ which means the husk of paddy, which is an important component of the rituals of this festival. However, various opinions exist around the etymology of the word ‘Tusu’. There are two words in the Kudmali language which come nearest to Tusu.; the word ‘Tustuisa’ and ‘Thusal’ both of which mean ‘brimming’ or ‘abundant’. So, in a way, it can be concluded that the word Tusu translates to the abundance of paddy. This makes Tusu Parab a harvest festival and Tusu a goddess of agriculture or paddy harvest. She can be compared to the Vedic Goddess Lakshmi, who is worshipped in many households during this time for a bountiful harvest. On one hand Tusu is deemed a goddess while on the other she is treated just like daughter and a girl next door. Several folklores can be found that tell the story of Tusu, one of which says that Tusu was a beautiful Kudmi girl who was forced to get married by a man outside of the community, leading her to sacrifice her life by jumping in the Subarnarekha River. It is this act of sacrifice to save her dignity that elevated her to the status of a folk goddess.

Fair on the occasion of Tusu Festival
IC: Dibyendu Mrugaraj 

There are various rituals observed in this one month. After all the sheaves of ripened paddy are cut and brought from the fields, the last sheaf is put in the granaries on an altar and this marks the beginning of Tusu Parab. On the last day of Agrahayan, the young, unmarried Kudmi girls take an earthen pot, line it with rice flour and put some rice husk into it. This pot is filled up with paddy, cow dung, durba grass (Cynodon dactylon), various wild flowers and the surface of the pot is smeared with turmeric paste. Then this pot is kept on an altar on a wall shelf called ‘Kulungi’ and it becomes the embodiment of the goddess Tusu. She is offered various items like sweet meats, flattened rice and jaggery every day in the evening. The young girls gather around this pot and sing songs to the goddess which reflect their dreams, everyday lives, love, happiness and the difficulties they face. These songs, popularly known as Tusu Geet are an important part of this festival. 

The final three days are the most significant as it is during this time the houses are cleaned with cow dung, decorated with flower garlands and lamps. The walls and floors of the houses are covered with beautiful patterns using rice flour. Various sweets, locally known as ‘Gorgorya Pithe’ are made with rice flour with fillings of sesame or coconut. On the morning of Sankranti, that earthen pot which is imagined as Tusu Goddess is mounted on a structure called ‘Choudal’ made with bamboo and decorated with colourful papers and cloths. This is now carried in a procession towards the river for immersion, accompanied with songs and merriment. This act of immersion has various symbolic interpretations. It has been compared to sending off a daughter to her in-laws after she has attained adolescence and is fit for child bearing. On another hand, as Tusu is an embodiment of the paddy, immersing it signifies that water is vital for its growth and sustenance. In either way, Tusu Parab doesn’t remain limited to a harvest festival but goes on to put forth the idea and importance of fertility and a celebration of nature that nurtures.

In present times, and especially in the post COVID era, the excitement around this festival has diluted, especially in the younger generation. Migration of the members of this community to bigger cities in search of livelihood has also affected the exuberance of Tusu Parab. However, Tusu Geet are still popular, and the new age songs have modern and relevant themes like spreading awareness about social and health issues. Nevertheless, Tusu Parab still remains an indispensable part of the identity of the Kudmi community for which they wait with eagerness.

- Priyanka Das