AGARTALA: The traditional Kharchi Puja began on Wednesday at the Chaturdasha Devata Bari temple in Khayerpur, Agartala, drawing devotees for one of Tripura’s most significant religious festivals.
Kharchi Puja is dedicated to the worship of the Chaturdasha Devata, the fourteen deities revered as the royal gods of the erstwhile Tripura kingdom. The festival traces its roots to the royal era, when the Manikya rulers instituted the annual worship as a state ceremony, and it continues to be observed with the same reverence generations later.
The week-long celebration typically opens with rituals performed by temple priests, followed by the symbolic bathing of the deities, a rite considered central to the festival’s religious significance. Devotees from across the state, along with visitors from neighbouring regions, are expected to throng the temple premises over the coming days to offer prayers and witness the traditional ceremonies.
Local authorities and temple management are likely to have made arrangements to manage the crowds and ensure smooth conduct of the rituals through the duration of the festival, as is customary each year.
Kharchi Puja holds deep cultural importance for the people of Tripura, symbolising both religious devotion and the state’s royal heritage. The festival also serves as a occasion for cultural exchange, with fairs and community gatherings often accompanying the religious observances.