*Karma festival being observed in tribal village near Morahabadi Maidan,Ranchi

Tribal women,each dressed in white saree with red border and men wearing dhoti kurta with a yellow or saffron-coloured dupatta tied around the waist, danced to the beats of Mandar and folk songs as Jharkhand celebrate annual festival-Karma.

Like previous years,a grand fête was organized at the tribal regional languages (TRL) department of Ranchi University in which politicians and government functionaries including Governor Draupadi Murmu and Chief Minister Raaghubar Das participated and none could stop tapping feet to the mesmerizing beats of Mandar and Dhol.

Students of various language departments like Mundari,Santhali, Kudukh, Mundari, Panchparganiya and Kurmali presented their respective folk songs and dances.

Describing the importance of the festival, head of TRL language, Keshav Chandra Tudu said, "We worship mother nature during the festival. People also worship the branches of Karam and Saal trees good farm yield and prosperity."

There is much more to the festival apart from worship of nature.Nilima Surin, a student of TRL department said, "This is also a festival in which girls observe a fast of 24 hours for the well being and welfare of their brothers. I have also kept a fast for my brother."

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