Tusu, a harvest festival, is one of the three major festivals of the Kurmi community in West Bengal, Jharkhand and Odisha. Tusu is celebrated throughout Jharkhand, the Rāṛh region of West Bengal, and in some parts of Odisha. Not only the Kurmis, but many other communities celebrate Tusu. The festival is mainly about the collection of songs sung by the unmarried girls during the nights, throughout the month of Poush. Tusu is a harvest festival; and the main components of this festival are paddy and rice. After cutting off all the paddy stacks, the last stack that remains in the field is called dinimai. This dinimai is Tusu. The head of the family brings the dinimai from the agricultural field and on that same day the young girls establish Tusu. It marks the beginning of the celebrations of a month-long festival.
Choudal or choural is used as the vehicle for the immersion of Tusu. This choural symbolizes the sun.
The sun is also worshipped in this festival because without the presence of the sun no germination could take place. Makar is just another name of the sun. In the day of Makar Sankranti or Poush Sankranti, which is the last day of the Bengali month Poush, people of various communities throughout India celebrate Makar festival or the festival of Sun God, which is mostly a bathing festival.
Tusu songs are sung today through these new age songs, which reflect the traditional ways of singing. Gradually, the new songs will become part of the tradition. This is how Tusu remains an important part of folk culture and people’s life. Although the form of the festival, the songs and their content have changed with time due to technological advancement, corporatization, and an evolving notion of entertainment—Tusu continues to be a source of happiness, celebration and festivity.
Studio 7 Productions.
Credits:
DoP: Ankush Kasera
[ Ссылка ]
Editor: Akshat Gupta & Raja Mahto
Voicer Over: Surjan Singh
Lighting: Suresh Rajak
Extra Footage: Johar Jharkhand Official
Song: Sajan Nayak Entertainment
Script: Kumar Hemant
Production Coordinator: Shreyoshe Sarkar
Studio 7
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