CHARAK
Charak puja or Gajan is a traditional Bengali festival celebrated mainly in the rural areas of eastern Indian state West Bengal. It is associated with lord Shiva. The groups of men and women, who take up this ‘Brata’ or the time bound ritual, have to go through a month long fasting from sunrise to sunset, live strictly on fruits & perform the daily worship in order to get the blessings of the lord. After the month long penance the devotees step up the high bamboo stage & hurl themselves forward. The ground on which they fall is embedded with glass, thorns, knives & other devious weapons. But the devotee escapes unhurt! The blessing of the god keeps him safe from all the possible harms. They also impale their body parts without feeling the pain. The festival not only reflects the blind faith but also the eagerness to accept penance on the road to achieve salvation.