TOKI PARAB :
A KANDH PARAJA FESTIVAL OF KALAHANDI
"Toki Parab" is a festival observed by the Kondh-paraja
tribe of Kalahandi and Koraput districts in the state of Orissa. The
Kandh-paraja tribe live in the Jaipatna, Koksora, and Thuamul Rampur
Panchayat Samities, especially in the eastern part of Kalahandi bounded by the Nawarangpur
sub-division of Koraput district. Kalahandi was formerly known as 'Kondhisthan'
and mainly the Kandha tribes live here. The Kandha-paraja tribe is the
offshoot of Kandha and Paraja, both belonging to the Dravidian group. The paraja
tribe speak 'Parji' an offshoot of Dravidian language. The total number of Parajas
in the district is about five thousands (1980, 102 & 119).
This paper has dealt with the Tokiparab or Tokimara parab a peculiar and
important festival observed by the Kondh-paraja tribe of Kalahandi and Koraput
districts. For the field study two Kandh-paraja villages named Paraja-nagpheni
and Ranibahal, which are politically in the border of Kalahandi, but
culturally are one with the Kandh-Paraja of Koraput, have been selected. In
the Tokiparab festival of these two villages, hundreds of participants of Koraput
district also take part as there is a bond of cultural uniformity and relation of kinship
among them. Though it is a festival observed by the Kondh-Paraja tribe, thousands
of people from other castes and communities of this locality also participate in the
festival.
Tokiparab or Tokimara parab is one of the most important religious ceremonies
of the Kondh-paraja. In the past they used to sacrifice their virgin daughters
before the earth Goddess. The Kandh tribe of south east India were practising 'Meriah'
or human sacrifice to appease their earth mother goddess. Even the Kandha priest
were sacrificing their eldest son to earth mother Goddess for the shake of their community
to get good harvest, good rain, to save their man and domestic animals from the attack of
wild animals and to save their community from cholera and small pox etc,
The Kandh tribe of Kalahandi were practising Meriah2 or
human sacrifice, whereas the Kanda-paraja tribe of this locality practise Tokimara-literally
meaning female infanticide. In the last part of nineteenth century the Kandha were
practising meriah and the Kandh-paraja were used to practising tokimara
(female-infenticide). Major Campbell, the agent of supressing meriah sacrifice in
Kandhisthan stopped this cruel tradition forcibly (1838; 132).
The tradition of Meriah sacrifice was patronised by the Raja and Zamindars
of Thuamool Rampur Mahulpatna (present Jaipatna) and Karlapat in Kalahandi
Estate. They were arranging the meriah out of their own prisoners and were getting
financial gain as well as the administrative support from the furious Kandhas of
their respective zamindaries. (1838; 132).
The victims for meriah were brought by the lower castes like 'Dom'3
and Ghasia4 and were offered to the Kandhas for sacrifice. (1984;
p. 51). Lt. Hill has mentioned in his report that the practice of Meriah had taken
place in the hill principality of Kalahandi, Patna, Khariar and Nawapara,
(1838). In 1844, Cl. Owseley, the agent to the Governor General of South - West Frontier
Agency reported that the practice of Meriah was prevalent in Sonepur, Khariar,
Bindra Nawagarh and Bamra. Major Campbell and Captain Macdwell covered the
hilly area of Koraput, Kalahandi and Phulbani to supress human human sacrifice
(1851,1853). After a major operation by Campbell with the local Raja the human
sacrifice and female infenticide was supressed. (1980; 57)
Suppression of Meriah is a cultural loss for Kandha and Kandh-Paraja
as well. So to compensate this loss they substituted buffalo for the meriah or
human sacrifice and an ewe for the female infenticide. To keep their ethnic culture and
religious tradition the Kandhs perform the Pod-Puja5 (literally meaning
buffalo sacrifice) in their community once in every twelve years. The buffalo brought for
priest. Similarly the ewe representing the eldest daughter of the Kandh-Paraja
priest is known as Toki. Toki means virgin unmarried girl and mara means
sacrifice. Now the Kandh-Parajas are being presented with an ewe by their
traditional kings and Zamindars of respective areas and name it as Jani-toki7
the daughter of the Priest.
It is interesting to observe how the aura of a village comes for celebrating the Festival,
Toki parab. This festival falls on the preceeding or the following Sunday of the Pongal
or Makar Sankranti ont the bright fortnight of Pausa (January). the festival
continues for seven days. This festival falls in a Kandh-paraja village in a
peculiar manner. (1986; p21-32)
During the dasahara festival; the Jani of the Village puts two pegs
vertically parallel to each other on the worship ground and ties a bamboo rope on it. It
looks like the English capital letter 'H' standing on the ground. When the upper
ends of the pegs close up to form a shape like English letter 'A' on the ground,
the priest proclaims that the festival will be observed in that village. After this
declaration, the village invites all the Janis and Disaries8
(Priests and Shamans) of the Panchura9 and Pali10
(literally meaning; the villages sharing a common Goddess worshipped by them, usually five
villages constitutes Panchura and twelve villages constitutes Barapali) and
declares the festival Tokiparab to be observed as he has got the auspicious omen of
joining two pegs in the worship place of Dharnikhal.
Then the Jani informs it to the Raja of his respective region. The Raja,
as a reverence to the ritual offers an ewe to the Jani. Alongwith it the king
provides some financial assistance to the Jani for the smooth management of the festival.
The ewe offered by the king is known as Toki of the Jani. The Toki is
named as Rasmuana. In the Panchura and Pali, the fund is collected
from all the farmers to meet the expenses of the festival. As it is an agricultural
festival 1, besides Kandha-Paraja, all the agriculturists contribute funds for it. The
Jani, the Disari and the two village headmen of each Pali are invited to the Toki
village to form a committee for the management of the festival. The invited guests from
their pali are provided with lodging and fooding. These guests are the representatives of
their respective village Goddesses. So they come with the Chhatra- the symbol of
the Goddess.
The festival is observed for seven days with pomp and ceremony. The festival begins on
wednesday; four days prior to the fatal day of the sacrifice of the Toki. The
distribution of rituals over the seven days is as follows : 1. Preparation and collection
of leaf and wood, 2. Gurupuja, 3. Tokipargha, 4. Sadarpuja, 5. Tokimara, 6. Dhangaridola,
7. Tangiulen.
On the first day, all the men and women of the Toki village go to the nearest forest for
collecting leaves and fire wood. On this day the collection and arrangement of all the
necessary things meant for the festival is made in the village by the responsible members
of the committee. On this day the priest worship the DharamdebtaSun God.
The
second day of the festival is known as Gurupuja12. On this day the
Priest and the shaman alongwith other people of the village go to the nearby hill. The
name of the hill is Gurudongar, where the Gurubudha or Budharaja the universal Gond
God is seated. It is believed that all the hills and mountains are the Gudi The
worship place on God and Goddess.
After worshiping Gurubudha they come to the seat of Dharanimata- earth mother
goddess. In a large sacrificial axe called 'Tanni' in local language the Jani
mounts the spirit of Dharnimata and brings the axe to the village. This ritual is known as
Tangi-utara literally meaning the bringing down of axe from the seat of Goddess. It
is the symbol of the Goddess's spirit animated in it.
The third day of festival is known as Tokipargha- worship ritual of Toki. On
this day the toki is bathed with turmeric water by the women of every house. A procession
of Jani and other people starts in along the village with music and dance. The toki is
moved from door to door to get worshipped by the villagers. The community treats the Toki
as the actual daughter of the Jani. In the evening the community eats, drinks and dances
with their local dom-music and make merriment.
On
the fourth day the Jani and Disari of all the villages assemble in the Toki
village with their respective villages Goddess. They are treated as the representatives of
their respective villages. Arrangements are made for their lodging and fooding and fooding
by the Toki villagers. On this day the community cleans the road and the houses of the
village.
At every entrance of the village they plant two banana trees as the sign of welcome. The Sadargudi13
is designed with the festooms of mangoleaf with folk art on the wall. The Sadargudi is in
the heart of the village whereas the Dharnikhal14 or sacrificial pit of
the earth Goddess is out side the village, in a grand field. The ground near Dharanikhal
is meant for festival. From Sadargudi to Dharnikhal proper decorations are
made by the youth of the village. In this night the priest and the Shaman of the Toki
village alongwith the Priests and Shaman of other villages unite at Sadargudi. Here, right
from the midnight the ritual begins with strict discipline. The Jani moves around the
Sadargudi for four times folding his hands to Dharnimata. After it, the Jani put the alive
ewe on a wooden mortar and crush it on a pestle again and again to pull out the fresh
liver from its wounded body. The liver is kept in an earthern oare. It is called Mutpani15.
It is preserved for offering near Dharanimata in Dharnikhal on the next day. Then
the Jani taking an arrow in a bow shoots it aiming towards the east. This ritual is called
JOGKHND BIDHA. After it a pig is sacrificed to appease all the Goddesses representing from
other villages. All these rituals of the fourth day begin at midnight and finish before
sunrise.
Fifth day is known as Tokimara day. The Toki is offered to the earth Goddess on this day.
Villagers from all sides come to Toki village in a procession with their traditional music
and warfare dance. In the procession each one has a wooden club, hand axe and big stick on
their hand. They come with their symbolic village Goddess amimated in a long bamboo stick
designed with red clothes and peacock feathers, and also in a big nisan (a local drum)
from every village such procession come to attend the festival. When the procession enters
near the gate of the village the receptionists of the Toki village receive them in a
peculiar manner. Unless the banana trees posted on the both sides of the gare are not cut
down with one axe, the procession never enters. It is a symbol of inviting them into the
festival. Thus all the parties are invited from all sides of the village. The procession
arrives on Sunday morning. On this day the whole locality irrespective of caste, age and
sex come to the Toki village to attend the festival. This reception does not end up until
all the parties of the invited village arrive.
A1 the time of midnoon, the Jani and Disari make proper arrangements to take the 'Toki'
(deadbody of the ewe) and 'Mutpani' from the Sadargudi of the village to the Dharnikhal.
It is about two hundred meters away from Sadargudi. A virgin girl from theit community is
invited to carry up the earthen pot taking Tokis' mutpani. The girl is dressed with a new
red saree to take part in that ritual. She takes the mutpani from Sadargudi to Dharnikhal.
The Jani holds up the Toki in a Jhapi-bamboo box on his head guarded around a military
array of young Kandh-parajas.
While the Jani and the girl with their respective Jhapi and earthern pot start from
Sadargudi about fifty to sixty young Kandh-paraja community with their sword, hand axe,
wooden club and stticks encircle them to protect the Toki and mutpani from the attack of
others. They all intoxicated with liquor, are preoccupied with a sence of
enthnocentricism. It is believed that if any outside plunders away even if a single hair
of the Toki by any means from their array, then all the holy action and virtues made by
the Toki village will be invain. As a result of loosing a hair or a piece of flesh of the
Toki; they may face the loss of harvest and rain, also many unforeseen dangers in their
village in forth coming year. They also believe that if any body snatches away a flesh or
a hair of the Toki from the procession and offers it to his earth Goddess will be rewarded
with ample harvest in forthcoming year. So while taking the Toki with mutpani from the
Sadargudi to Dharnikhal the youth of the toki village try their best to save the toki from
others. Inspite of all these strict arrangements made by them, the out-siders manage to
take the flesh or a hair plundering from the Jani's Jhapi out of the procession may it be
by force or by trick. If some outsider succeeds to get the flesh or hair from the Jani
suddenly the protectors run after him with weapons to take his life. If the plunderer
offers the stolen flesh to his own goddesses situated in their camp, then the attackers
never do any harm to him. But if captured by them, the victim is wounded mercilessly.
Instances of putting the victim to death are also heard. So in the festival the Government
police from district Head-quarters are recruited to watch over them.
Thus with great care and protection the Toki, Mutpani are brought to Dharnikhal. Here the
Linga is taken off out of the Dharnikhal by the Jani and put in front of the worship
place. The Linga represents Dharam debta and the stone symbolizes the Dharnimata.
Dharnikhal is the main worship place where one can see the symbolic images of God and
Goddesses such as; the sacrificed head of a cock, a long bamboo stock designed with
peacock feathers, a metal image of peacock on the metal pillar, a sacrificial axe, some
arrows and a bow, a cluster of weapons like knife, spear etc.
In
the worship place, the Jani alongwith the other priests start the ritual. Burning a lamp
before the Goddess, throwing some rice on the sacrificial pit (Dharnikhal) the Jani begins
the in vocation (as below) which is known as Pat puja mantar. All the God and
Goddesses are invoked in this place and are appeased by offering different kinds of
sacrifice to them accordingly.
Bapude rai denda Bapude sariso Jani
Bara bhai bhimsen Kitankani
Sola bhauni Gangadi Kitaka
Nana Dekraiti gude re
Nana maninge Saruti gude
Nana dekriti gudere
Nana maninge saruti gude
Godke Kata gala daniroye
Mundke lata gala.
Bapude rai denda bapude sariso.
I worship twelve Bhima bhimsen.16
I worship sixteen sisters Gangadei,17
I worship the Dori inside the Gudi
I worship all the Goddesses in the Gudi
Let no thorn touch my foot.
Let no creeper touch our head.
After praying all the God and the Goddesses of the whole locality the Jani takes off the mutpani from the pot. Holding it in his hands, kneeling down before the pit he recites some hymns offers it to the earth goddess. This ritual is called Tokipara. After this, the other Goddesses of the locality are worshipped by the Jani-one by one. The Jani devides the flesh of the Toki and distribute it among all the Janis of invited village. The Janis of the respective villages consider themselves fortunate to have the auspicious toki flesh and take it with reverence. After this, the gathering of the people reduces and the Jani and his followers remain there for further ritulas.
In the evening the Jani and the Disari worship the goddess. The rest flesh and bones of the ewe is burried by the Rapia- belonging to 'Dom'- a scheduled caste. The 'Rapia' is alienated as impure and unholy for that day. Next day the Jani offers a pig to the earth goddess to purify the Rapia and declares him as pure to mix with his society again.
The sixth day of the festival is known as Dhangridola. On this day the young unmarried Kandh-paraja boys and girls have freedom to choose their like mate with a socioreligious recognition in the festival ground. On this day the parents of the boys and girls have nothing to protest against their love marriage, ass the whole community gives sanction to them. The youth, on this day wearing beads around his neck, is expected to pull the hand of his beloved young girl. This system is popularly known as Malichagha, literally means wearing of beads. It symbolizes the snatching of a girl by the boy.
This is the day giving opportunity to the youth to extend love and friendship with opposite sex. The unknown boys and girls make permanent friendship ritually by addressing each other 'Baligaja' and 'Sari'. Baligaja is a type of yellow grass taking which one may be a 'Sari' or a Baligaja by tucking it on the right ear of the other. On this day many groups of girls and boys with the local music, dance and sing on the group. One group sing the love song competing to defeat the other. At this time a choir of singers with their Dungdunga and Dhap (two local musical instruments) sing the song describing God and Goddesses, hills and mountains, rivers, villages and the deities of their locality.
In the after-noon, the young girl of this community make a lovely arrangement of receiving the guests to appease them. They invite the guests to whom they choose to be their own friend or sari. The group of girls holding the hands of the guest, take him to the place of worship. They sit the guest on a cot; carrying the cot on their shoulders on four sides they move around the worship place seven times. At that time all the girls sing the song to entertain the guests. After moving around, they keep the cot in front of the Goddess and touch the feet of the guest one by one and make Juhar (obeisance). This ritual is called Dhangridola. Literally meaning a saving of the young girls. They also collect some tips; money as a regard from the guests. The singing and dancing goes on till evening. Thus the ritual of the sixth day ends.
In the seventh dy the Jani and Disari along with the newly married couple of the previous day, leads a huge procession to the Gurudongar the seat of Gurubudha. There they beg the blessing from Gurubudha. After coming from Gurudongar, they eat, drink and make merry by singing, dancing and merrimaking. At night the Jani returns the sacrificial axe to the earth goddess. After it the Jani declares the festival over. The next day the associates of the Toki village bring down the festoons of mango leaves. Thus the grand festival ends after the observation of seven days.
There is a myth found among this community as to why the Tokiparab is observed. The myth corresponds to the problem of bride price and free marriage system among the Kandh-paraja tribe. The myth is as follows :-
"In a Kandh-paraja village the Jani had a daughter named Rasamauna. After maturity her father proposed to give her in marriage with a lad of the village named Mundradharia. The negotiation was also over. Marriage date was fixed up. A few days remained for the marriage ceremony. In the meantime Rasmuana fell in love with Baplamada, another youngman of the same village. As to keep his beloved daughter's interst, the Jani cancelled the previous negotiation made with Mundradharia and married his daughter with Baplamada. Time went on. One day Rasmuna went to the nearby forest to collect fire-wood. There she saw Mundradharia- the groom proposed for her by her father earlier. She, out of passion fell in love with him in the forest and this game of love went on. Baplamada, her actual husband knew this and he went to the Jani his father-in law and told every thing. He also proposed before the Jani that he would divorce his wife as she had indulged in illicit love with Mundradharia. So he demanded the Harja18, bride price which he had paid to his father-in law during his marriage as a ritual. He also suggested the Jani to hand over his daughter to Mundradharia according to her will.
So the Jani had to return the Harja- bride taken from Bapalamada. Also he had to pay Mandpani19, fine fixed by his community for the divorce and the remarriage of his daughter. Again Jani fixed up a date for his daughter's marriage in the month Pausa. At that time the Kandh-paraja were to observe the festivalof Mariah. The community reported the Jani that no victim was found out for the sacrifice and asked him to arrange the sacrifice and asked him to arrange the sacrifice of his own for the festival. The festival arrived. No victim was found. The Jani suddenly sacrificed his own daughter Rasmuana before the Goddess. Thus it became a tradition that the Jani would give his own daughter for the sacrifice. Now the female infenticide has stopped, but instead of it an ewe is sumbolically presented to the earth goddess as a substitution.
Now, if we decompose the above myth finding its binary opposition we shall find the following sum up; "Marriage with social recognition is accepted where as violation of social rules results fine and punishment by the community. The illicit love violating the social norms causes hatted and results in the punishment like elimination of the defaulter."
In Kandh-paraja community, Jani, the religious head has so many responsibilities. Their religious belief is that the pure character and action of the Jani could save their community from the unseen dangers. The Gods and Goddesses are appeased according to the manner of worship and action of the Jani. He propitiates them by means of his own virtue and spiritual power. He is the medrator of man and spirits. So if the purity in his personality is deviated or some social norms are violated by him, it is believed that the Jani would not be abole to appease the earth Goddess, or if he does so, the result would be harmful for the whole community. So in the myth, the Jani sacrificed his own daughter, to prove himself pure and to escape from such socio-economic and psychological burden. It is a fact that, the hatred of Jani for his daughter, at the same time the need for a victim for sacrifice both the causes have doubled the problem in his mind. Individually in order to keep his priesthood status socially up, and as a community leader to manage the warfare of his society by propitiating the earth Goddess with a sacrifice, the Jani tried to kill two birds in one arrow by offering his own daughter to the earth goddess in the festival.
By doing this the Jani mentally compensated the loss of his daughter by receiving a sanction from the community on him. He has not considered it a sin as he has got rid of two problems burrying it under a religious mask. The plea by the Jani in his invocation depicte that Goddess Herself choose the victim for her sacrifice. The donor of the sacrifice bears no sin for his act. This theme has been picturized in the following invocations ;
1.
Nanu kode aie papu hille e'
Siri-kamresi Kepitee Loh-kdali,
Tinjim Jane Durga.
Nanu kode aie. Nange papu hille ye.
(We bear no sin.
the Iron-weapon is taking the sacrifice,
Durga is taking the sacrifice.
For it, we bear no sin.)
2.
Ita kanda tinjim
jani
Meria kanda Tinjim jane.
(The sword is taking sacrifice
the weapon is eating the meria)
3.
Purti susta padi, Raji susta padi,
Jada hillaretu, manda hillaretu.
Abare manbe, Balare manbe.
(Let the earth be healthy,
and let the country be healthy,
Let be no danger.)
The basic philosophy behind this 'rites do intensification' of the Kandh paraja purports the natural world view in it. According to them the earth mother Goddess and Sun god are the universal mother and father Prakriti and Purusha or Dharnimata and Dharamdebta. The living being, plants and animals, animate and inanimate are the offshoot of these two forces. As man and animal live on exploiting nature and plants, inturn the plants also exploit the man and animal absorbing it in the earth. In vedic and puranic literature this philosophy clearly speaks that "all dead things rotting corpse or stinking garbage when returned to the earth are transformed into things of beauti such as fruits and flowers and the whole some things that nourish life. Such is the alchemy of Mother Earth". (1986; P; 29; Rajgopalachary). It is a reciprocal process in which both the animal and plant live on dedicating each other through a natural law, exercised by the supernatural power. Thus this vedic philosophy and worldview of thousand years ago has attracted the mind of this land. No doubt this henious action of human sacrifice adopted by them in the ritual are inhuman, but the worldview of "Sarve bhabantu Sukhina"- let all be happy in their invocation has shown their greatness of self dedication for the shake of community.
The female infenticide is the imitation of Vedic and Tantric philosophy and rituals. The symbolic representation of Kumaribali or sacrifice of virgin girl is described as the symbol of fertility and productivity. The earth mother Goddess Herself is the symbol of fertility. Meriah is substituted with buffalo sacrifice and Tokimara with an ewe represents the symbolic form of the sacrifice. An ewe, in place of a virgin girl presented for sacrifice symbolically compensates the cultural loss of stopping female infenticide. Virginity is the symbol fertility and creativity. The ewe is regarded as the daughter of Jani. The process of worship and the tradition of ritual is obeyed with strict discipline. The mutpani which symbolizes fertility literally means the 'Urine water' of the ewe. It is the symbol of female procreative power incorporated in the Toki. Alongwith the liver of the ewe, the rice, husk and water is added in the earthen pot and all those constitute mutpani which bears the meaning of getting life, corns and ample rain respectively. Thus it represents the possibilities of getting new life and food resources on the earth. Moreover the mutpani taken to the Dharnikhal from Sadargudi by a virgin Kandh-paraja girl of ten to twelve, signifies the name and the tradition of the festival.
The phallic stone, iron weapons, Nisan-a musical drum, phallic wooden stumps, bamboo sticks with peacock feathers are the symbolic God and Goddesses of the community. The sacrificial pit of earth Goddess is the symbol of female procreative organ. The peacock model represents the totemic symbol of Kondh tribes.(1968; 120-121).
The orginal spirit of the Goddess is based in some hill, out side the village. This place is said to be the origin place of the Goddess. The discoverer of the Goddess finds her by getting some omen, sign and dream and are invited her to the village. A sabargudi is made for her, But her original spirit remains in the place of her Origin. So, during some worship or festival the spirit is invited through a ritual, e.g. in this festival the ritual of Tangi utara is followed by this process.
In the Dharnikhal the sacrifice is offered to earth Goddess and a stone is covered to protect it. Comparing the greater earth as a great sacrifice pit and the animal and nature inside the earth covered by the sky like the stone- the Jani recites the invocation the meaning of which bears the high naturalistic worldview. The meaning of the invocations are as follows;
O mother, as inside the earth pit
Social significant : The religious rites are meant to solve the problem of the community. (1980; 344). This may be examined for the present festival studied. The sixth day of Tokiparab, known as Dhangridola the love marriage of boys and girls with socio-religious recognitions and sanctions solves the problem of bride price. The social problem of Harja- bride price among the Kandh and the other communities of Kalahandi is still prevailing in the society (1878; 5). In it the bride groom pays bride price as demanded by the bride's father. Even; if a groom is unable to pay the bride price and want to marry a girl, the father of the girl may agree to adopt the boy as 'bride service' for a fixed period of time as to compensate the amount of bride. After the amount is collected from'bride service' the couple set free. But in some places where the bride's father refuses to accept the proposal of the boy, the marriage between the interested boys and girls fails. This failure is only due to the poor economic condition of the boy.
In this festival a ritual is there to avoid the bride price system. The boys and girls are allowed to marry with social and religious recognitions. The beloved Dangdi- young girl on this day is snatched by her beloved Dangda- young boy in the festival ground in front of the whole community. After getting her snatched, the couple worship the Goddess and get blessings from the priest. On this time, no parents either from the girls or from the boys side, oppose it as the now couple have the social support. No question of bride price is arosed by the bride's father. This ritual, thus, helps the loving couple getting married, who were unable to marry due to lack of providing, bride price. This ritual is known as Dhangarighicka;
More over, the guests and participants honoured by the young Kandh-paraja girls in the ritual of Dhangridola, irrespective caste and creed shows the oneness in tribal culture shared by the non-tribals. the Raja, the Bramhins, the village headmen and the other gentlemen are invited for this ritual. Thus the entertaining of the guests in this festival shows the intetaction among the tribal and nontribal cultures.
Though it is a festival of a community, the other communities alos take part in it by contributing money and helps. As this is a festival to pay reverence to the earth goddess, also to assure more harvest in future, all the peasants of the society, irrespective of caste and creed take part in it. The non tribals also believe the philosophy of Kandh-paraja and want to burry some flesh of the Toki in their field to get ample harvest. So the influence of the tribal culture among the nontribals of this locality is seen in this festival.
In this world man exploit the men after exploiting the nature. But the traditional people of this land bear the naturalistic world view in their way of thinking, which has been symbolically represented in their rites and rituals. The equlity of man and nature keeping the balance of the earth basing on reciprocal dependance is the sole philosophy of the people of this locality. Here no difference is seen in between the animal and nature- as both are the creature of a supernatural power Dharnimata- the earth mother Goddess.