Jamshedpur, Jan 14: The city today indulged itself in the celebrations of Makar Sankranti. The harvest season popularly known as the Tusu festival in Jharkhand was celebrated not only by the common masses but also by the politicians who on other days think about serious state affairs. Devotees gathered at Domuhani in Sonari, where two rivers Kharkai and Subernarekha meet, is one of the biggest and most popular Tusu points in the city.
“This is the harvest season when we forget everything and tap our feet to the rhythm of maadal. Music and dance to celebrate the season is a key activity without which it does not mean anything. We used to organise a fair for many years and due to Covid it has been cancelled,” said an official of the Jharkhand Sanskritik Kala Kendra.
This apart, people also distributed food among the underprivileged ones at Domuhani Sonari. As Makar Sankranti is considered to be an auspicious occasion to perform charity, various families along with their friends fed the needy on Friday.
It may be mentioned that Makar Sankranti is celebrated in almost all parts of the country in myriad cultural forms with great devotion. It is that time of the year when the day and night are of equal duration. Days become longer from this point on so it is a time for celebration.
Meanwhile the people of the city also took ‘Tilkut’ (sweetened ’tila’), curd and ‘chura’ (beaten rice) as per custom. Makar Sankranti signifies departure of winter and commencement of the harvesting season.
Meanwhile, Makar Sankranti or Tusu has literally taken a toll on eating out plans in the city and on highways till January 20. Almost all the popular eateries in the city and those dotting the NH-33 linking Jamshedpur to Ranchi have been compelled to down their shutters with staff going on leave for celebrating Tusu Parab, arguably the biggest festival of the tribe of this region till January 20.
The festival falls on January 14 but with most of the staff hailing from Purulia, West Midnapore (in Bengal), adjoining Chandil (Seraikela-Kharsawan district), Patamda (around 30 km from city) and Haldipokhar (around 35 km from city) in East Singhbhum and going on leave from January 13 itself has forced eateries to shut-down from today itself. Usually, Makar Sankranti (Tusu Parab) is celebrated between January 14-16 but the merrymaking continues for a week in rural areas extending the shut-down till January 20.
Around 15 popular highway dhabas on NH-33 famous amongst those with penchant for long drives and amongst those commuters who frequent between Jamshedpur and Ranchi also have the same fate.