Tea garden workers celebrate Karam Parab

Guwahati: Dancing to the tunes of jhumoir (a dance form associated with the tea tribe), Assam tea workers on Saturday celebrated Karam Puja or Karam Parab with enthusiasm, hailing the state government’s decision to grant them a paid holiday.
Acknowledging the cultural significance of the festival, CM Himanta Biswa Sarma had announced the holiday during the inauguration of the secretariat in Dibrugarh on Sept 6.
On Saturday, Sarma posted on X, “This festival is a festival of unwavering love between brothers and sisters and humanity’s respect for nature. I wish that this festival strengthens our mutual relations and makes us sensitive towards the environment.”
Karam Puja, a celebration of nature and fertility, involves collection of Karam tree branches which symbolizes fertility and prosperity. The branches are decorated with flowers and fruits and are planted on the ground with cow dung. People gather around the branches and rejoice and pray throughout the night. A village priest recites folklores to the villagers regarding the importance of Karam Puja and the next morning the branches are immersed in a river.