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Jharkhand Durga Puja: Gorkha Community's Unique Gun Salute Tradition
17 Oct
Summary
- Gorkha JAP-1 personnel worship deities as Kalash, eschewing idols.
- A century-old tradition includes offering gun salutes to deities.
- Weapons are also worshipped during Shastra Puja on Navami.
At the Jharkhand Armed Police (JAP)-1 ground in Ranchi, Durga Puja celebrations are underway with distinctive traditions upheld by personnel, primarily from the Gorkha community. For more than a century, they have honored the Goddess Durga by worshipping her in the form of Kalash, foregoing idol worship.
A unique aspect of this observance is the practice of offering gun salutes to the deities during various ritualistic stages. This tradition, including salutes during Kalash Sthapna and animal sacrifices, is performed to invite the deities to join the puja.
Adding another layer of uniqueness, the JAP-1 jawans will also conduct Shastra Puja on Navami. This ritual involves worshipping their service weapons, such as self-loading rifles and guns, seeking their efficacy and reliability.
This shift from idol worship to Kalash worship reportedly began after past attempts at idol worship were associated with ill fortune for the personnel.
