The main religious festival of the Mahato ethnic group Sharai festival was celebrated in the ethnic villages of Tarash and Raiganj upazilas of Sirajganj. This festival was held in the new moon of Kartik month.
Several ethnic groups in the plains, including Orano, Santal, Pahan, Singh, Baraik, Mahali, celebrate the festival in their own way. The formality of this festival is basically held on 2 days but the pomp and ceremony lasts for 3-4 days.
At the beginning of the event, a mixture of rice powder mixed with water (alum) leaves is used to make a kind of mixture with the leaves of the tree where the cows are fed (chari).
Alpana (designs) of various colors is also painted on the walls of the mud house. Ever since Alpana's drawing, the mood of the festival has been in the minds of teenagers. They began to dance happily. All household furniture, including agricultural equipment, is cleaned, and pet horns are oiled daily.
Ujjal Mahato, author and researcher of the Kutmali language of the Mahato community and chairman of the Indigenous Society and Culture, said that the ghee and oil lamp lighting ceremonies started in the evening. They light the Mars lamp at the source point.
Starting from midnight, the village Jagano (Jagarna) goes to every house in the village and wishes everyone well through the song. As well as cows and buffaloes, paddy fields, farms, fruit trees all wish the place a source of income. They all work together to save for the good of the future.
The landlord entertains them enough. The next morning, the cows, buffaloes, rice husks, garlands of oil, sidur, are decorated with different colors. Baran (kissing) is done in Baran Dala. Later, cows and buffaloes were danced all over the village.
Then Goreya Puja is performed. The jackfruit stalks are cut into 3-5 grooves and the lamp is lit on the east side of the barn. In this festival, Mahato worships various types of ghosts such as Rangahari, Chitrahari, Chinuar, Kapsa and others. At this time the tribes pray to the Creator for a good harvest and honor the domesticated animal.
Mahato Foundation Chairman Dr Shapla Rani Mahato said, “We are very hospitable in this event. This is our biggest festival.
Akhil Chandra Mahato, president of Raiganj Upazila Adivasi Multipurpose Development Organisation, claimed that ethnic festivals are associated with their own language, culture and heritage but for various reasons these festivals are under threat and it is imperative for the state to preserve them.