Celebrated In: India
The tribals of Tripura perform Garia Puja on the seventh day of the month of Baisakh for seven days. The devotee man and woman take to dancing.
The literal meaning of Ker is boundary or specified area. Two age old beliefs may lie behind the ritualistic incantation of a specified boundary for the Ker Puja. One is to safeguard the interest of the people from any calamitous misfortunes, diseases, and destitution. The other is to save people from any external aggression.
Offering and sacrifices constitute an important aspect of Ker Puja.On the seventh day of the month of Baisakh is held the Garia Puja - another important festival for the tribals of the state. The celebration starts from the last day of Chaitra. Two deities Kalia and Garia - are worshipped.
The Puja is held to propitiate the deity for blessings. The Garia is a community festival. Sacrifice of cocks is an important feature of the Puja. Another equally important feature is dancing and rejoicing after the Puja. The Garia dance is very popular among the Tripuris and the Reangs.
Symbolic of the worship of the deities as well as of the socio-economic activities of the households, these dances represent hunting, fishing, food-gathering and various other activities.
