Tripura Kicks Off Annual Kharchi Festival with Holy Bathing Rite

Agartala: Devotees gathered at the Howrah River bathing ghat on July 21 to observe the Snan Yatra. This holy ritual of the Chaturdasha Devata signals the official start of the state's iconic Kharchi Festival. Chief priest Durga Manikya Debbarma led the traditional ceremonies alongside fellow temple priests. Crowds swarmed the riverbank to pray and witness the start of the proceedings.

Key officials attended the event to mark the occasion. These included MLA and Kharchi Festival Committee Chairman Ratan Chakraborty, Old Agartala Panchayat Samiti Chairperson Jharna Rani Das, and social worker Rajesh Bhowmik. The formal festival inauguration takes place Wednesday at the Chaturdasha Devata Temple premises in Old Agartala.

Chief Minister Prof. (Dr.) Manik Saha will preside over the opening. He will share the stage with Tourism Minister Sushanta Chowdhury, Agartala Municipal Corporation Mayor and MLA Dipak Majumder, and MLA Swapna Debbarma. Organizers expect thousands of visitors during the week-long event. The festival serves as a tribute to the fourteen guardian deities of the erstwhile Tripura kingdom. As one local official noted, the event showcases "Tripura's rich spiritual heritage and cultural traditions."