JAMSHEDPUR: Tribal community members on Tuesday celebrated Sarhul with traditional fervour and gaiety in different parts of Kolhan. Men, women and children took part in various activities like mass prayer, traditional Sarhul dance events and 'shoba yatras' organized by various tribal groups to mark the festival, which is dedicated to Mother Nature.Beginning early in the day, festive enthusiasts get ready wearing new dresses and reached the worshipping place (Sarna Sthal) in their respective localities where local priests (Pahaan) performed the rituals offering prayers to Mother Nature.At Sarna Sthal, which is usually a holy place with cluster of trees, the festive crowd carried Sal flowers that were consecrated with special prayers by the priests.Explaining the festival, Kendriya Sarhul Puja Samiti ( KSPS ) functionary Suraj Ho said, "Sarhul literally means worship of the Sal tree.""Sal tree epitomizes courage, strength and firmness to stand up to challenges of the times and we pray to the mother nature to bless us with the qualities of Sal tree to cope up with the odds in life," explained Suraj, adding that The KSPS organized various events in the Steel City to mark the festival.Revellers enjoyed traditional foods and danced to Sarhul songs at separate programmes organized in all three districts of the division.In the Steel City, Sarhul Shoba Yatra was taken out from Old Sitaramdera and concluded at the same place after travelling close to 5km covering Bhalubasa, Baradwari, Sakchi and Golmuri among other places.Scores of tribal community members representing almost all sects took part in the yatra. The excited crowd dressed in stunning traditional dresses played traditional music instruments, flags and banners in the procession.In West Singhbhum a similar yatra was taken out from Tirla Sarna place to Dongakata in Manoharpur block. Organized by Sarna Kudukh Samiti (SKS), the colourful procession travelled closed to 3km distance with an impressive number of revellers."Several hundred people mostly women and youths from Manoharpur and Anandpur blocks took part in the shoba yatra," SKS functionary Deepak Biruli said.SKS functionary, 43-year-old Kailash Munda, said, "Of late, Sarhul is gaining popularity with other communities as the media coverage about the essence of the festival is spread wide."

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