Khunti, September 6, 2026: A public Karam Puja Mahotsav will be organised at Jojotoli in Khunti on September 22, with the festival set to be celebrated through traditional rituals and community participation.
A preparatory meeting was held at the local community building on Sunday under the banner of the Public Karam Puja Committee, Jojotoli. Members discussed arrangements for the festival and constituted an executive committee to oversee the event.
Preparations begin with Jaoa ritual
As part of the traditional Karam Puja process, Jaoa will be prepared on September 14 using nine varieties of seeds.
According to the committee, sand will be collected from the river after being sieved and placed in two baskets. Seeds of rice, finger millet (madua), black gram (urad), sarguja, sorghum (jowar), gondli, maize, wheat and pigeon pea (rahar) will then be sown in the sand.
The Jaoa will be watered with turmeric-mixed water for five, seven or nine days. It will subsequently be offered at the local akhara as part of the traditional observance.
Community prayers and night vigil
Daily prayers and night vigils will be held in the evening during the festival period with devotion and traditional practices.
The festival will also carry a message of social harmony. Community members will exchange Jaoa flowers with one another as a symbol of affection, brotherhood and social unity.
Organising committee formed
The meeting also finalised the festival’s organising structure. Mathura Kandir and Bandeya Nag were appointed presidents, while Sunil Odeya, Reshma Minjur and Kishunray Munda were named vice-presidents.
Nibay Hassa and Anand Tidu were appointed secretaries, with Mangra Barjo, Birsa Kandir and Sanjay Pradhan serving as joint secretaries. Goma Shanti Topno, Subhashini Purti and Jamuna Mundu were named treasurers.
A protection and advisory group was also formed, including Sugundas Munda, Phagu Singh Munda, Sanika Tuti, Yogesh Verma, Madan Mohan Mishra, Bhaiyaram Munda, Dasai Munda, Sukra Tirkey, Luthadu Munda, Bagaray Munda and Budhram Singh Munda, among others.
Several community members and prominent local residents, including Soma Munda, Binita Topno, Sanika Tidu, Raju Pahan, Palo Samad, Hiramani Samad, Madhu Kandir, Gopal Dodray and Birsingh Munda, attended the meeting.
The committee said preparations would continue to ensure the Karam Puja is conducted according to traditional customs.
