Will you have enough courage to share a portion of your hard earned work for free to someone else?
Imagine, you would have worked extremely hard over a period and that has been fruitful too, it paid off well. Now, will you have enough courage to give away or share a portion of it for free with someone else?
Well, if the answer is a BIG NO, then let me tell you, this is what is called as “Donation”
And not everyone will have that big of a heart to donate something which they have wade through upon day & night and have thought & prayed of nothing but to have a worthy result.
Even if you think, there is someone who can do this and has got such a big heart, I can bet this community will top it. And the community is none other than our own FARMERs.
Yes, our beloved Farmers who work hard throughout the season – sow, grow, guard, reap & harvest – so all of us can have a peaceful meal.
When you donate something from your heart it tells what a great soul you are! Or in simplest term it signifies Sharing & Caring.
In Chhattisgarh, every year we celebrate Annual Harvest Festival called “छेर छेरा”
Motive behind is to donate a part of produced grains so that no one goes hungry.
Cher Chera is a post-harvest festival dedicated to reaping the paddy crop and is celebrated every year on the full moon day of Pausha (पौष) month as per Hindu calendar “पञ्चाङ्ग” and so is also called as “छेर-छेरा पुन्नी”. It is a symbol of state’s glorious tradition of charity and social harmony.
On this day kids and adults, all go door to door and ask for food grains, singing
“छेर छेरा ! माई कोठी के धान ला हेर हेरा!!”
Ladies of the house donate handful of grains from storage to kids and till either of food grains, vegetables or fruits are given, kids don’t leave the door and keep singing
“अरन बरन कोदो दरन, जब्बे देबे तब्भे टरन ।
छेरिक छेरा, माई कोठी के धान ला हेरिक हेरा ।। “
Workspaces are supposed to be closed on this day and people usually don’t go out of their towns.
As it is believed that we should not let anyone go empty hand from our doors. On this day, begging is not looked down upon. In fact, whoever begs this day is treated as a Brahmin and the lady awarding grains is avatar of Shakambhari Devi.
The Lore of Cher Chera
There are many lores associated with Cher Chera. One of them is, once Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati got into an argument about the importance of Prakriti during assembly to which Shiva denied stressing on superiority of Purusha(male) over Prakriti(mother Nature). Enraged Parvati, in order to show Lord Shiva and world her importance, she disappeared saying she wants to see how world would survive without her. With Parvati’s disappearance the world was deprived of food and there occurred famine. The Nature came to standstill, there were no change in season. Everything became barren. The Lands became infertile. Nothing grew anymore. This led to severe drought & huge shortage of food.
When Shiva’s followers came to him asking for food. He looked for, but couldn’t find even a grain of food, fruit, a petal of flower or medicinal herb. Every creature on earth was getting deceived. Then God, humans & demons all kept praying for food. Goddess Parvati heard the prayers, and she couldn’t see her children perishing out of hunger. So, she took Shakambhari avatar and redeemed everyone out of hunger & famine. Shiva realised his mistake and he appeared before Goddess with a begging bowl in his hands. Shakambhari Devi offered her food as alms to Shiva and made him realize that as Brahmin Shiva might have outgrown his hunger, but his followers haven’t. She advised everyone not to hoard and help & support others whoever has got surplus.
As per ancient history, there was once a king Kalyan Saaya from Kaushal state (presently Bastar). He returned after taking his education on politics and martial arts from Mughal emperor Jehangir. He was away from his kingdom for almost 8 years. Upon hearing this news people of Kaushal were too excited and were celebrating their king’s return by singing and dancing. By seeing his people love for him, King ordered all his subordinates to celebrate that day every year as a festival of donating food and make sure no one goes empty handed.
It’s up to an individual to whichever story they want to believe in, but I personally love the thought of sharing and caring and what’s better than sharing & donating food.
And if you are in Chhattisgarh and hear छेर छेरा! माई कोठी के धान ला हेर हेरा!! at your doorstep on Pausha month’s full moon, don’t get surprised. Just join them in celebrating the auspicious harvest festival छेर छेरा by donating a handful of grains from your storage.
Meanwhile let me sing an age-old song sung by kids all over छत्तीसगढ़ during छेर छेरा
द्वार-द्वार मा डालबो डेरा,
गांव गली के करबो फेरा।
कन्धा मा झोला लटकाबो,
अऊ जोर से कईबो
छेर छेरा …
कोठी के धान ला हेर हेरा ||
आप सबो मन ला छेर-छेरा के गाडा-गाडा बधाई ।।
जय जोहार, जय छत्तीसगढ़ ।।
