Kharchi Puja Wallpapers

Kharchi Puja is the most significant Hindu festival of Tripura, celebrated over seven days in the month of July-August at the Chaturdash Devata Temple (Temple of Fourteen Gods) in Old Agartala. The word Kharchi is derived from the Tripuri word meaning earth (khar), and the festival is essentially a purification ceremony for the earth after the symbolic menstruation of Mother Earth during the Ambubachi period. The fourteen gods worshipped include Shiva, Durga, Vishnu, Lakshmi, Saraswati, Kartikeya, Ganesha, and seven other deities specific to Tripuri tradition. The festival blends tribal Tripuri and mainstream Hindu traditions, reflecting the syncretic religious culture of the state. Animal sacrifice was traditionally part of the rituals, though the practice has evolved. The temple, established by the Manikya kings of Tripura, is the royal temple of the former kingdom. Cultural programs, fairs, and community gatherings accompany the religious rituals, making it the largest cultural event in Tripura.