Posts filed under ‘Jugar Jatra’
Odisha govt. suppressing Kosli language and culture
Following report is from the Pioneer:
There is a deliberate attempt by the Government of Odisha to suppress the Kosli language and culture, alleged Kosal Kranti Dal (KKD) working president Baidyanath Mishra at a Press conference here on Wednesday.
He said teachers and para-teachers are being recruited to appease the minor ethic groups, including Bengali and Telugu, in the State whereas Kosli spoken by almost one and a half crore people is neither given official status nor is any step being taken for its growth due to a high degree of inferiority complex on the Government’s part.
Mishra said thousand of books in Kosli using Odia script have been published in different branches of Kosli literature, but the Government does not have any affirmative stance for promoting the rich literature. This “step-motherly attitude” towards Kosli, coupled with acute regional imbalance and other parochial considerations, has led to discontentment among the people concerned and a strong opinion to split the State.
“The recent activities of the Government and some NGOs have posed a threat to Kosli language and culture,” he alleged and called upon the people of ‘Kosalanchal’ to remain alert. The strategy of “Utkalisation of the Kosal areas” is a calculated one, but the Government has not been successful in the past nor would it be successful in future because of its ill motive as negative action would only bring negative result, he remarked.
Mishra was launching Kosli No-1, a music album brought out by Karan Raj and his young team. Congratulating all those involved in the project, he advised them to adopt the twin strategy of promotion and safeguard for their language and culture.
Editor of Paschimanchala Surama Mishra was the guest of honour on the occasion. Sagar Singh Manki, Ram Chandra Amat, Jai Singh Singh and Hrudanand Behera were among others present.
Jugar Jatra of Bargarh district, Orissa
Following is a report from express buzz:
BARGARH: The ‘Jugar Jatra’, a ritual of Kali puja unique to Bargarh district, was observed at Kuchipali village in Sohela block today. The Jatra was organised at Jhair village yesterday.
In order to usher in communal harmony and appease Goddess Kali, the festival is being organised in each village of the district every year.
Earlier, animals were sacrificed during Kali Puja but to do away with the practice, villagers decided to offer ‘Jugar’ to the Goddess. Jugar is a cone-shaped sweet made of mixture of fried paddy and jaggery.
“The festival was started in Jhair village 42 years ago. Taking cue from Jhair, other villages followed suit,” said 65-year-old Murali Bhoi of the village.
The preparation for the festival begins four months before when the right quality of jaggery and fried paddy are selected from which ‘Jugar’ is made.
The bigger the ‘Jugar’, the more crowd it attracts. It is normally around eight-foot high and is taken around the village amid beating of drums to the altar of Goddess Kali. After the ‘Jugar’ is offered to the Goddess, it is distributed among villagers. The inhabitants believe that offering the ‘Jugar’ and distributing it among people brings peace and prosperity in the village.
Not just people from within the district but also from neighbouring Chhattisgarh visit Bargarh to witness the ‘Jugar Jatras’.
Kosal Discussion and Development Forum 