Thousands of tribals celebrate Sarhul festival in Sundergarh

Rourkela: Thousands of tribals in Sundergarh district worshiped nature as a part of the ‘Sarhul’ festival and also performed the symbolic marriage of Mother Earth and Sun God at the Sarna puja site in Uditnagar.

Braving the sultry weather, tribal women clad in white sarees carried pots filled with grains and marched in an impressive procession from two directions to the Sarna puja site (sanctum sanctorum) site in front of Rourkela Municipal College.

Tribal leader Manilal Kerketta said that the ‘Sarhul’ festival is the most prominent religious festival of the tribal people and it was jointly organized by Raji Paraha Sarna Prayer Sabha and Central Sarhul Puja Committee.
Tribal communities from Sundergarh district and adjoining districts of Jharsuguda, Sambalpur and Keonjhar besides Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh participated in the celebrations.
Sundergarh Lok Sabha (LS) member and BJP candidate for Sundergarh LS Jual Oram participated in the function.