04/07/2025
KHARCHI PUJA: A celebration of 14 deities
One of the main festivals of Tripura, the 7-day Kharchi Puja is being celebrated (3rd-9th July) at the ‘Chouda Devata Bari’ (Bengali for temple of 14 deities) or Chaturdash Devta Temple at Khayerpur (about 7 km from Agartala).
A grand fair is held throughout the week, and various cultural programmes are organised in the evenings.
During the festival, lakhs of devotees and tourists throng the Chaturdash Devta Temple, which was the main temple of the Raja of Tripura Kingdom during the late 18th century.
(Photos by S Tamal Bhowmik)
For the record
According to the Tripura royal family’s chronicle ‘Rajmala’, the names of the 14 deities are Hara, Uma, Hari, Ma, Bani, Kumar, Ganesh, Brahma, Prithwi, Ganga, Abdi, Agni, Kamesh and Himadri. The tribal names of the 14 deities are Mataikatar, Matai Katarma, Mailooma, Kholooma, Akhtra, Bikbitra, Tuima, Sanrang, Kalaia, Garia, Nakchu Matai, Bichukma, Srijemdu and Thoumnairog.
Among the 14 head images, 13 are made of brass while one is made of silver. Except for three deities, the rest are not worshipped every day. The deities are exhibited to the devotees during the Kharchi festival only. The 14 deities are worshipped by the royal priest, Chantai. Only members of the Chantai descendants are allowed to take the post of Chantai. All the attendants of Chantai belong to the Tripuri Community.
The word Kharchi is derived from two Tripuri words ‘Khar’ or ‘Kharta’ meaning sin, ‘chi’ or ‘si’ meaning cleaning. The final meaning is cleansing of the sins of the people or the kingdom. Some say 'Kha' means Earth, and 'Archi' means burning flame. According to Rajmala, Hirabati the queen of the late king Tripur worshiped the 14 Gods and Goddesses to get a child. A child was born from her who had an eye on the forehead, his name was Trilochon.
Whatever legend says, wherever the kings of Tripura had relocated after changing the capital, they carried the 14 deities.
In the year 1760, Maharaja Krishna Chandra Manikya changed the capital to old Agartala and there the worship of the 14 deities started, which continues to date. On the day of Kharchi puja, the 14 deities are carried by members of Chantai, taken to river Saidra, bathed in the holy water and brought back to the temple. The deities are then decorated with various flowers, and vermilion is applied to the forehead of the deities.
Both Tripuri and non-Tripuri participate in the festivals. People offer a variety of fruits, sweets, and other treats. Animals are also sacrificed. People from the state and outside the state participate in the festival irrespective of caste, creed and religion. They come to pray for their welfare as well as the welfare of the society and the state in general. (Source: Tribal Research and Cultural Institute, Tribal Welfare Department, Government of Tripura)
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