Charak Puja: Shiva’s Redemption by Mridul Kanti Goshami
“Salvation from agonized human society”
MRIDUL KANTI GOSHAMI: Charak Puja is a traditional religious festival mostly celebrated in different areas of Bangladesh & West Bengal of India. This festival is celebrated on the last day of Bangla New Year. It is a unique folk festival, celebrated to command farewell to the passing year. It is believed that the celebration leads to prosperity in the coming year, wiping out all the sufferings and pains of the existing year. It is connected with Lord Shiva.
The festival starts with traditional ritual but ends with amazing performances of the human activity to endure pain.
The ritual of Charak Puja is a way to show the miracle of God. The team involves the making of a human Charak, to please Lord Shiva. The “Charak” is tied with a Borshi, a kind of hook, at the backside and is then moved around a bar, with a long rope. Usually 10–12 members together perform this ritual. The believers say that it’s a way to achieve salvation from agonized human society.
These photos were taken at a Tea Garden in Sylhet, Bangladesh.
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Mridul Kanti Goshami is photographer who was born and raised in Sylhet, Bangladesh. He completed his Masters in Music Arts from Govt. Music College, Dhaka in 2014. He studied Photography at MoMA The Museum of Modern Art, New York in 2016. He has been working as a freelance photographer since 2012. His major interests are anthropology, environment, human psychology, and human rights based issues. His photos emphasizes a fine art and photojournalistic approach. Mridul has a great interest in paintings, film, and music. He takes his inspiration from people he meets in everyday life, animals, poetry, and music. He lives and works in Dhaka.