By Girija Shankar Ojha, Karandih Village (Jharkhand), Nov.15 : Tribals in Karandih Village in Jharkhand's Jamshedpur district recently celebrated the annual 'Sohrai' festival with much fanfare. It included a fashion show that attracted much attention, especially of the tribal youths here.

This tribal festival is quite popular in Jharkhand as well as Orissa and is mainly related to the cattle. Celebrated around Diwali, the festival of lights, it falls in the month of November.

On this occasion, the cattle are washed and worshipped. The cattle's horns and hoofs are graced with oil diluted Sindoor or, vermilion. Apart from that earthen lamps are lighted in the cattle sheds, cow-dung pits and kitchen gardens in the evening.

This festival, also known as Kartik Bakhra, is a time for great amusement, and several activities such as bull-fights are organized.

This year the traditional sporting event, featuring bulls, was organized in a popular sports ground of the village

Locally, the game of bulls is popularly known as 'Khunta' (small pole) among the tribal population here. It is celebrated once in five years in a particular village

In Khunta, the tribal bull game, the bull is tied with a Khunta or a small pole.

The competitors play tricks by waving bright shroud to agitate the bulls who chase them and run around the poles to hit the players. But the bulls get exhausted at the end. The game is played in three rounds for each bull. There are of course chances of injury to the players as also to the bulls.

As the game commenced, around a dozen tribal men demonstrated their sporting skills on the bulls before the audience. A large number of people, who converged at the venue on this occasion, cheered the participants.

The competitors play tricks by waving a bright shroud to agitate the bulls. The animals chase them and run around the poles to hit the players, but get exhausted at the end.

Moreover, the Sohrai' festival also featured a fashion show wherein young boys and girls of the tribe participated with much enthusiasm, as the event captivated a lot of young at hearts at the venue.

Bheetal Hembrak, was adjudged 'Mr Adivasi' and Doomni Murmu was crowned
'Miss Adivasi' in the fashion show, both the winners were ecstatic having won the titles amidst such a big gathering. The elated winners wished to work in Bollywood some day.

'The tribes must keep their traditional festivals alive to make progress,' said Bheetal Hembrak, the Mr Adivasi title winner.

'I am feeling both happy and nervous. I was sceptical and worried whether I would be able to write or not and study or not, perform up to the mark or not. But now I am feeling very happy,' said Doomni Murmu, Miss Advasi (Tribe) title winner.

The fashion besides drawing a good public response, as was evidence by the public in the audience, also inspired the other youths to come forward in life and prove their mettle by emulating the participants at the fashion show.

--ANI