Karam festival

[1][2] The festival is held on the 11th day of a full moon (Purnima) of the Hindu month of Bhado, which falls between August and September.

[3][4] The Karam festival celebrated by diverse groups of people, including: Munda, Ho, Oraon, Bagal, Baiga, Binjhwari, Bhumij, Kharia, Kudmi, Karmali, Lohra, Korwa and many more.

Nine type of seeds planted in basket such as rice, wheat, corn etc which is called Jawa.

[10] In the ritual, people go to the jungle accompanied by groups of drummers and cut one or more branches of the Karam tree after worshiping it.

Then the branches are brought to the village and planted in the center of the ground which is plastered with cow-dung and decorated with flowers.

A village priest (Pahan or Dehuri according to region) offers germinated grains and liquor in propitiation to the deity who grants wealth and children.

The Karam tree, scientifically named Nauclea Parvifolia is the center of the proceedings of the festival.

Nine type of seeds planted in basket such as rice, wheat, corn etc which is called Jawa.

People worship trees during this festival as they are a source of livelihood, and they pray to mother nature to keep their farmlands green and ensure a rich harvest.

Girls celebrate the festival for welfare, friendship and sisterhood by exchanging a jawa flower.

Anthropologist Hari Mohan writes that after the rituals are over, the karam story is narrated to boys and girls.

The story behind the festival, according to Mohan, is this:[17] Once upon a time there were seven brothers who labored hard at agriculture work.

In the evening they returned home and found that their wives were dancing and singing near a branch of the karam tree in the court yard.

The karam deity was insulted; as a result, the economic condition of their family continued to deteriorate and they were brought to the point of starvation.

One day, they were so engrossed in dance and song that the brothers' morning meal was not carried to the field by the wives.

Thereafter he returned home and called his brothers and told them that because they insulted Karam Devta, they fell on evil days.

As it was the day of the Karam festival, all the women were engrossed with dancing and the men with playing the drums, so no one came to receive him.

After spending the whole night with dance and songs, the people uproot the branches and carry them to nearby rivers or rivulets for immersion.