Karam Puja

Karam Puja (colloquially Karma) is a tribal harvest festival is celebrated usually on Bhado Ekadashi, on the eleventh day of the bright full moon (Purnima) of the month of Bhado in Indian states of Jharkhand, Bihar(Magadh region of Bihar), West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Assam, Odisha and Bangladesh.

The festival Karam Puja marks the worship of the Karam tree. The tree is seen as a symbol of Karam Devta or Karamsani, the god of strength, youth, and vitality. It is primarily observed during the Kharif harvest season.

The festival is popular especially among the Munda, Ho, Oraon, Baiga, Kharia, and Santhal peoples. The central ritual of the Karam festival involves planting a Karam sapling or bringing branches from a nearby forest.

They also planted the stem of Chirchitti (chaff flower) and Sindwar (chaste tree) in their paddy fields, which, according to Tirkey, acted as natural insecticides. The tree is worshipped by women, who fast for the well-being of their brothers.

Towards the end of the Karam festival, branches from sal or bhelua trees are often planted in the fields. At the end of the day, the branches are taken to rivers or lakes for immersion​.
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