Detailed Information about Charta Festival, Koriya, Chhattisgarh & Its Importance

Festivals in India are innumerable and as the centuries have gone by, maybe they have changed in significance and in form, but then, their charm and the zeal with which they are celebrated have remained the same if not increased. In India, apart from the religious festivals that are celebrated by the Christians, the Hindus and the Muslims, there are the harvest festivals that are also celebrated with much enthusiasm. This is because India is largely an agricultural country. A large part of India still lives in the rural areas and they are heavily dependent on agriculture as their means of survival. As a matter of fact, 60 percent of the GDP in India is contributed by the agricultural sector. Also, given that technology has not made much headway in the lives of agriculturists in India, Indian farmers are dependent on the rain. The monsoons are the biggest waves of rainfall in the country and each year, people pray that the monsoons will be on time in order for them to make good harvests.

In Chhattisgarh, which is one of the states in the north of India, the harvest festival is just as important. It is also, otherwise known as the Charta festival. As is customary with many harvest festivals in the country, this day too is observed on a day when the moon is full. And this needs to be either in the month of December or January of the Hindu calendar. The indigenous people of Chhattisgarh form the majority of the rural population of the state. And this is that time of the year when they get a chance to display their lifestyle and culture with the different dances and music. The many different tribal communities celebrate this day in their own special ways. The Koriya district of Chhattisgarh, however, is the one place in which this day is vastly celebrated. The celebrations on this day go on as follows.

The feast is the biggest event on this day and so the married women in the village gather and prepare the best food items that they can. The money for the ingredients and the groceries is chipped in by all the households in the village. The children in each neighbourhood go and collect rice, corn flour, water and other things necessary for the cooking. In this way, it is made sure that every household and every member in the household participates in the event. As the collected things are brought to a river, lake or pond as is customary, the preparations begin. Firewood is collected and large utensils are used for the cooking. The cooking, however, is limited only to the married women because it is assumed that they are the ones with experience and expertise in cooking. This is one time of the year when the tribal people can dress in the best attire and attend the celebrations. Many folk songs and dances are organized for the entertainment of the people. It is a time for merriment, for bonding and for sharing a sense of love, brotherhood and community.