By Dipak Kurmi
In the rolling hills and fertile valleys of Assam, life is bound to the rhythms of the earth. The state, celebrated globally for its lush tea gardens, is not only a geographic space but also a cultural mosaic where numerous ethnic communities have flourished for centuries. Among these, the tea tribe community occupies a unique place. Their history is intertwined with colonial migrations, their present is rooted in the tea plantations, and their future continues to be shaped by both struggle and resilience. Within their cultural fabric, one tradition stands out as both sacred and celebratory: Karam Puja. This festival, deeply tied to agriculture, fertility, and renewal, is not merely a ritual—it is a living testament to the tribe’s bond with the land and nature.
The Roots and Meaning of Karam
Karam Puja derives its name from the Karam tree, a species considered sacred among the tea tribes and several other communities across central and eastern India. In Assam, where the tea tribe population—descendants of Adivasis brought during the colonial period from regions like Chotanagpur, Jharkhand, Odisha, Bihar, and West Bengal—form the backbone of the tea industry, Karam Puja has acquired a central cultural role. The festival is dedicated to the deity Karam Devta, the god of youth, strength, and fertility. He is believed to ensure prosperity, safeguard harvests, and bless communities with abundance.
For tea workers, whose livelihoods depend on agriculture in its broadest sense—both tea cultivation and subsistence farming—the festival is a reaffirmation of gratitude to the land. It embodies their collective prayers for fertility, growth, and prosperity. Every aspect of the puja highlights the inseparable relationship between the people and the soil that sustains them.
The mythological narrative central to Karam tells the story of Karma and Dharma, two brothers whose choices represent devotion to work and morality on one side, and indifference on the other. Through storytelling during the rituals, the community revives these moral tales, passing them on to the next generation. The myths serve not only as entertainment but also as ethical compasses, reminding the community of the virtues of labor, respect for nature, and unity.
The Three Faces of Karam
A striking feature of this tradition is that Karam is not celebrated once but three times across the agricultural calendar, each iteration marking a different stage in the farming cycle.
The most elaborate is Jitiya Karam, observed on Shukla Ekadashi during the month of Bhad (August–September). At the height of the agricultural season, this form of Karam is infused with grandeur, its rituals echoing the community’s collective hope for fertility and abundance.
Later in the year comes Budhi Karam, performed on Vijaya Dashami in the month of Ahin (October). Occurring after the autumn harvest, it symbolizes gratitude for crops already gathered and prepares the community spiritually for the next agricultural cycle.
The final celebration is Ras Jhumur, held on the full moon of Aghon (December). It marks the closing of the farming year, offering thanks for the harvest and welcoming renewal.
Together, these three festivals create a cycle of continuity, anchoring the community’s year in the rhythm of cultivation and harvest.
The Sacred Work of Women
At the heart of Karam Puja are the women, especially young unmarried girls who carry out the most sacred duties of the rituals. Known as Karamati, they embody the connection between human fertility and agricultural abundance. Their role underscores the belief that just as women nurture life, the earth nurtures crops.
Preparations for the puja begin several days in advance. The Karamati carry two freshly woven bamboo baskets to the riverbank, where they purify themselves by washing their feet and create a sacred space called thapana. Within these baskets, filled with sand, they sow seeds of rice, groundnuts, wheat, peas, soybeans, and beans. These small, symbolic plantations—nurtured until the day of the puja—are acts of devotion and hope. This practice, known as Jawadhara (or Jhawadhara in some regions), is essential to the festival.
The Karamati observe strict disciplines during this period: abstaining from cooked food, avoiding oil and garlic, refraining from sweets, and even resisting the urge to scratch their bodies or comb their hair. These taboos are seen as a test of devotion, a form of discipline that ensures the health of the growing crops. A violation, it is believed, could cause the seedlings to wither. Through these practices, the women symbolically align themselves with the tender vulnerability of the seedlings they nurture.
The Night of Worship
The main puja unfolds in the evening under the glow of candles and incense. A branch from the sacred Karam tree—sometimes substituted with bamboo or Jari branches—is placed on a decorated altar. The bamboo, carved into flower-like pieces and buried in the earth, represents fertility.
The priest, who doubles as the community’s storyteller, narrates the tale of Karma and Dharma, weaving mythology with prayers. Songs and chants echo across the tea gardens, binding the listeners into a collective memory of faith and resilience.
The Karamati, adorned in fresh garments and threads of garlic beads for protection, encircle the altar seven times. They sing, offer prayers, and perform the aarti. Prasad is distributed, marking divine blessings, before the solemn atmosphere gives way to festivity.
The night erupts into the vibrant rhythms of Jhumur Nach and Jhumur Geet, dances and songs that are inseparable from the cultural soul of the tea tribes. Men and women join in circles, their movements synchronized with the beat of drums. The songs, passed down orally, weave stories of love, hardship, migration, and the beauty of everyday life. For the tea tribes, Jhumur is more than performance—it is cultural memory set to rhythm.
Closing the Circle
At dawn the following morning, the community performs the concluding rituals. The sacred branch is removed from the altar and carried to a pond or river. As it is immersed, accompanied by song and drumbeats, the act symbolizes the return of offerings to nature. In the evening, the women revisit the site, lighting candles and layering earth over it. This sacred place, known as Ghara Bhata, represents the eternal cycle of giving and receiving between humans and the earth.
The Larger Significance
Karam Puja is not unique to Assam. Variants of the festival are celebrated by Adivasi communities across Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, and West Bengal. Yet, in Assam, the festival takes on a distinct dimension shaped by the history of the tea tribes. Brought during colonial times as indentured laborers, the tea tribes preserved their cultural traditions against the pressures of displacement and marginalization. Festivals like Karam became anchors of identity, allowing them to retain a sense of belonging despite geographical and social alienation.
In recent decades, Karam Puja in Assam has grown beyond the confines of plantations. It is now observed in towns and villages, often with cultural programs organized by youth associations. While modernization has altered certain aspects of the rituals, the essence remains intact. The festival is an assertion of identity, a proud display of cultural heritage that refuses to fade under the weight of economic hardship and social invisibility.
Music, Dance, and Cultural Continuity
Central to Karam is the performance of Jhumur dance and songs, which cannot be overstated in their significance. The Jhumur, with its rhythmic group formations and lyrical folk melodies, embodies the collective spirit of the community. The songs often speak of migration, longing, harvest, and resilience. In many ways, Jhumur is the oral archive of the tea tribes, carrying forward their histories and emotions across generations.
During Karam Puja, Jhumur serves a dual role: it enlivens the festivities while also reinforcing cultural continuity. For younger generations, participating in Jhumur is a way of connecting to their roots. For elders, it is a reminder that despite displacement and marginalization, their culture endures.
A Living Tradition
Karam Puja is more than an agricultural festival. It is a narrative of survival, faith, and community. It highlights the indispensable role of women, celebrates the cycle of cultivation, and honors the symbiotic relationship between humans and nature. In the tea gardens of Assam, where lives are often marked by toil and hardship, Karam emerges as a moment of joy, renewal, and solidarity.
As the tea fields continue to thrive, so too does this tradition. Karam Puja endures as a cultural cornerstone of the tea tribe identity—an emblem of their history and a prayer for their future. It is not only a ritual but also a declaration that despite challenges, their bond with the land and their traditions will remain unbroken.
In a world where globalization often dilutes indigenous practices, Karam Puja stands as a vibrant testament to the resilience of Assam’s tea tribes. It is a festival that honors the soil, celebrates fertility, and strengthens the ties of community. Above all, it is a reminder that the sacred rhythms of the earth still guide the lives of those who listen closely.
(the writer can be reached at dipakkurmiglpltd@gmail.com)
