Chaturdasha Temple

The person who performs the worship of these deities in the temple is called Chantai or head priest among the Tripuri priests. The most important puja is the Kharchi puja when the idols are brought out into the open from the temple. All the deities are placed in a row facing the area of the mandapam when the puja is performed. It allows the people gathered in the temple to see the puja being performed by the head priest. Thousands of devotees from all over the state and outside the state visit this temple during this puja to pay their respects to the gods and goddesses and pray to them.

The Kharchi Puja is an amalgamation of Hindu and Kokborok customs. The main festival of Kharchi falls in the month of Ashada, which falls between June and July. It is the rainy season in the area signified by the month which means the same. The festival stretches over seven days. On the day before the festival starts the priests perform the “Jari” puja. During this puja goats in large numbers and buffaloes are sacrificed to appease the gods and goddesses. Before the actual puja begins, the deities of Uma, Hari, Maa, Hara, Kumar, Bani, Brahma, Ganesh, Samudra, Ganga, Prithvi, Kamesh, Abdi, and Himadri are taken for holy bath in the river Haora. After the holy bath, the deities are brought to main temple complex where the puja is to be done and kept in a straight row facing the gathering of devotees. The Chief priest or Chantai then performs the puja supported by other priests.