KISS Deemed to be University celebrated Baha Parab on 18th March 2022. The celebration was graced by Senior Functionaries, Professors Emeritus, Research Chair Professors, Deans, Faculty Members, and students of KISS-DU.“Baha/Baa Parab” is popularly known as the flower festival in the contemporary urban centres.
The flower festival is called BaaParab in Ho language and BahaParab in Santali language. The festival is usually celebrated in the month of Falgun (March). Indigenous peoples are the worshipers of nature. They worship everything that comes from nature. In this ceremony, people from the Ho and Santal communities offer the Saragiphool(flowers of the Shala tree) to the Pilchu Halam&Pilchu Budhi (the creator of the Universe).
As a worshiper, there is a Dehuri in the Ho community and Naike in the Santal community, who worships at the Jahere or Desaulior Sarna, a place at the base of the Shalajangleby offering rice beer and flock. After the puja, the Naike & Dehuri give the Shala flowers to everyone. Women wear those flowers in their hair or ear, and men wear flowers on their head turban. After the distribution of the flowers, both the men and women of the indigenous community dance to the beat of the madal, drums (tum–da, tamak, chalchhali, ghanti).
Professor Deepak Kumar Behera, Hon’ble Vice-Chancellor, Dr.Prashanta Kumar Routray, Registrar, Dr.KanhuCharanMahali, Director General, Mr. Pramod Patra, Deputy Registrar, Professor Emeritus, Research Chair Professors, and Dr.Sushree Sangita Mohantyspoke about the significance and importance of this festival and brought to light how KISS and KISS-DU have been relentlessly working on preserving, protecting, and promoting indigenous cultural diversity and heritage. Among others Principal, both the Vice-Principals and other senior functionaries of KISS-DU attended the function and encouraged the students to organize such important festivals in the future. The celebration was initiated and organized by the students, research scholars and alumni of KISS-DU. They recreated the same ethos on KISS-DU premises by performing a traditional dance.
