AGARTALA, August 8 (TIWN): On the auspicious occasion of the historic ‘Ker Puja’, a centuries-old tribal custom in Tripura was celebrated with devotion on Friday at Raj Bari.

Ker Puja is celebrated two weeks after Kharchi Puja and is still celebrated within the premises of the royal palace and with financial support from the state government.

The literal meaning of 'Ker' in the tribal 'Kokborok' language is a specified area or austerity.

On Friday night, the festival was observed after an area has been notified where no deaths, births or even recreation is permitted.

No outsiders are allowed to enter either, and anyone violating the rules has to pay.

Ker Puja' which has begun on Friday midnight will continue uninterrupted for over 30 hours.

It starts 15 days after Kharchi Puja, another tribal festival in the State to honor Ker, the guardian deity of Vastu Devata.

However, it includes offerings, sacrifices, and a prescribed boundary which both safeguards people from calamities and saves people from external aggression.

The historic ‘Ker Puja’ will continue till August 9.

The area in and around the royal palace here as well as Puran Habeli, the erstwhile capital of Tripura, around 12 km east of this city, have notified for Ker Puja.

All pregnant women, the diseased and dying are kept out of the specified puja area. No one is allowed to enter the notified area.

During Ker Puja, all kinds of amusement, recreation and ceremonies are banned in the notified areas.

The performance of the Puja is being done for the benefits the people and the state. Besides, the puja is also performed to assure peace and harmony in the state.