Tusu Festival in India 2025

What is the Tusu festival in India? 

By Intimate Viewpoint

Tusu is a harvest festival that is mostly celebrated in the states of Jharkhand, Orissa, West Bengal, Assam, and also partially in some other states in India. This festival is mostly seen in the Tribal areas. It is celebrated in the Pausha Sankranti (the last date of Pausha month) in the lunar calendar which normally falls in the month of January. In 2025 it will be celebrated on the 15th of January.

Suggest to read:

Kumbh Mela 2025 | Date | Place |and Significance 

The Name & The Importance of Ekadashis in Sanatan Dharma

Observance and Celebrations 

This festival is observed by unmarried girls they make a wooden or bamboo frame decorated with colored paper and gift it to a nearby river. Goddess Tusmani / Tusu is worshipped on this day. It is a festival of joy and happiness of harvesting crops and also paying gratitude towards nature. The Tusu festival and Makar Sankranti both are celebrated on the same day. The image of goddess Tusu is made with mud and decorated with colorful flowers and placed inside the wooden or Bamboo frame and immersed it at the end of the festival in a nearby river along with the frame. 

It is said that the goddess Tusmani is considered a young girl which is why all the rituals and Pooja are done by young girls. Although there is no particular Legend found about this festival the rituals of this festival revolve around tribal devotional songs and the harvest children carry the image of goddess Dushmani from house to house they sing folk songs that narrate the stories of goddess Tusmani. There is a special tribal musical instrument called Dhama Madol that is played while the image is immersed. 

The Legend of Tusu Festival 

There is no famous Legend behind this festival except one that which there was a beautiful girl named Tusu. She was the daughter of a humble farmer. At that time, the poor farmers were suffering the torture of a cruel king. the king was increasing the amount of Lagaan (agriculture tax) day by day and also was creating an artificial famine which had made life difficult for the farmers. Tusu was a bold girl. She stood against the cruel king and lastly, she plunged into the river and became a martyr for justice after that incident she came to be worshipped as a goddess.