Rural kids of Tripura are keeping alive the ‘Burir Ghar Porano’ (burning old woman’s hut) programme on Poush Sankranti.‘
Despite the onslaught of modernity, people, ‘Burir Ghar’ tradition is surviving owing to rural people especially the children.
While the ‘Burir Ghar’ has become extinct in city areas years ago, youths and children of the rural areas as well as city-suburbs are keeping the tradition afloat with fanfare and enthusiasm.
Following the tradition, people in different parts of the State including Boxanagar, Kalyanpur etc, are making Burir Ghar on Thursday with straws, bamboo canes, dry leaves etc. – mainly on recently harvested agri-lands.
The children will organize their own picnics and some older ones will spend the night in the make shift hut only to put it on flame at the dawn after having bath in the cold pond or river.
The day is marked with not just making Burir Ghar, at several places, Kirtans are being held. Giving ‘Harir loot’ (tossing up coconuts, dry sweets etc in air in the name of the God) is a big attraction among the devotees and children. During the day, ‘Kirtania Dol’, as usual followed by children, roamed around different hamlets and devotees offered Loot.
In many villages, womenfolk spend time in preparing tongue-teasing sweet Pithas.
Even as the Burir Ghar culture is still alive, it has undergone several changes to adapt with modernity. The art of making a two-storied Burir Ghar or making a fireplace inside the Burir Ghar to stay warm is missing in most of the areas.
“In my youth we used to collect firewood from every household for making a ‘dhuni’ (Fireplace). Our mothers and sisters were also preparing several kinds of Pitha on this day. Such Dhuni preparation is missing in most of the cases. Instead, some people hold bon fire”, a Kalyanpur based elderly person recalled.
He added, the folklore and verses for this occasion are also missing. “I can recall, used to dance to the clapping and flapping in tune to folk verses having a pastoral flavor”, he said.
People cutting across the religions are working together to enjoy Poush Sangkranti at hamlets under Boxanagar.
After burning the Burir Ghar, people will take holy dips at nearby rivers and pray to ancestors.
