Gajan is a folk festival celebrated widely in the state of West
Bengal in India . This festival is celebrated mostly in the rural areas of the state. The term Gajan comes from the Sanskrit word “Garjan”
which signifies the roaring sounds of the Sanyasis while performing the rituals. This roar is accompanied with music which is specific to the Gajan festival.
It is celebrated during the period of 'Chaitra Sankranti' which begins with 14th March every year and ends with the traditional ritual of 'Charak Puja'. This festival is celebrated
for a week and innumerous rituals and sacrifices are observed during the time being.
People arrive in large numbers from far off places to enjoy the fairs that are set up alongside the festivities. They witness the proceedings of the festival as there are a lot of stunts involved
in the name of sacrifices to the deity. These stunts are performed by different communities during
this festival.
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| One of the participants of Gajan sporting a pierced back with decorated iron needles Source: http://www.indiamike.com/india-images/pictures/charakgajan-festival |
It is widely believed that Gajan is associated with the mythological significance of Shiva’s
marriage with 'Harakali' or 'Dharma Thakur’s marriage with 'Mukti'. Hence, this festival can primarily be classified into two forms on the basis of mythology.
The Sanyasis form the ‘Barjatri’ (i.e.
groom’s party). People join the celebration in large numbers as it is believed that being
a part of it can help them purify their soul. The Sanyasis who performs the rituals in this festival are
believed to be the disciples of Shiva.
Shiva’s Gajan is the most popular
among the two forms and is celebrated to calm Lord Shiva as he, according to the
Hindu scriptures, is regarded as the most powerful among the gods. It is believed that a person who wants to surrender his soul
to the lord should take part in the proceedings of the festival to attain 'Moksh' (i.e.
liberation of the soul from the cycle of birth and death).
The tribal sections of West Bengal mostly participate in
this festival as they believe in devoting their lives to the worship of the almighty.
As the rural areas of Bengal mostly depend on agriculture for their livelihood, one of the main reasons to celebrate this festival is to
pray for the arrival of monsoon, so that there are no glitches in the upcoming year's harvest.
