Tv Actress and Miss Teen Northeast Mahika Sharma comes out to help the Assam Tea tribes for celebrating Tusu Puja. Mahika also promised that she she will make the festival nation wide in the coming years.
“Tusu Puja, is the famous festival the way Padmavati is important in the pages of history. The similar way is Tusu, known as Rukmani from Assam. The local tribes worship her as goddess. But India has always ignored to explore the beauty of Assam. Sad is I personally fill Assam government is also working very slow to get glory of the state national recognition. But I promise to tea gardeners in coming years Tusu Puja will be a popular celebrations in India,” Mahika Sharma said in a statement.
“Tusu Devi is a folk goddess of the tea tribes. The traditional customs and system of this puja is somewhat different from other celebrations. According to the folk legend, Tusu was the daughter of the Kurmi king of Gujrat. The Mughal emperor of that time forced him to run away and took shelter of Punjab’s king Birbal. During those days Tusu or Rukmini and Birbal’s son Sitaram fall in love with each other. But, the Mughal emperor became an obstacle in their love. So, Gujrat’s king ran away from there again and met the Chawtals and Bhumijs. The king of the Bhumij made the marriage of Sitaram and Tusu happen. After a few days, Sitaram died and Tusu also killed herself by jumping into the fire of his funeral. Her story is the story of love and sacrifice. The Kurmis, the Bhumijs and the Chawtals began to worship Tusu as a pure soul. With time she was worshiped. Its the festival of love. Hence to celebrate the love I’m trying my best to help those tea gardener who work out for Assam all the long years.” Said Mahika.
She also spoke about the celebrations. She added, “During Tusu Parab, sculptures make statues of Tusu and people decorate with mud and flower very beautifully. Young boys and girls carry the statue from house to house singing her story. The young girls of the community dress traditionally and tie handkerchief on their hands and dance with the rhythm of the music and instruments. Tusu is popular among the tea tribes as a favourite goddess who symbolizes kindness, virtue, love and sacrifice.”
Tusu festival is observed on 13th of January every year.
