RANCHI, Oct. 14: Its Durga Puja once more and the Jharkhand Armed Police-I
(JAP-I), is ready to arm the goddess with the best pistols and rifles. Her
hands are full with INSAS rifles, AK-47s, Light Machine Gun (LMG), 9 mm
pistols, grenade rifles, carbines, twinch mortars, revolvers and sharp khukris.
We have been worshipping her in this way since 1880. The only thing that has
changed over the years is the artillery, jawan Mr Ganesh Bahadur Pradhan said.
The armed forces do not worship an idol. The ceremonial kalash, decked with
mango leaves and a green coconut is worshipped. Along with it is a newly cut
bamboo stick draped in a new silk cloth and a ceremonial flag fixed atop the
stick. The artillery is kept in a circular fashion around the kalash.
We do not worship any idol and that is the tradition. Any deviation brings bad
luck for us. In 1941, commandant CM Rai, tried to worship an idol in here. But,
while placing the idol in front of Tiku Hall auditorium, it broke to bits. The
commandant also died soon after. So we dont break the tradition after that,
jawan Sashikant said. The commandant of the force takes charge of the ceremony
irrespective of his religion. Beginning from the kalash sthapna till the
immersion of the kalash he looks after all the preparations. Ms Tadasha Mishra,
commandant of JAP-I is eagerly waiting for the rituals to begin on sashthi this
year. The traditional instruments like dhak and kanshor are replaced by
bagpipes and drums. They accompany the ceremonial bell and the priests chanting
of the mantras. The goddess even receives gun salutes. Nine girls are selected
from the families of the soldiers during Nabami for kumari puja. The goddess
also receives gun salutes. Every move in the puja
is accompanied by gun salutes. It begins with the priest inviting Mother
Nature to be a part of the puja, Ms Mishra said.
In 1880 the regiment was named, Gurkha Military Force. Post-Independence, the
name changed to Bihar Military Police and after the creation of Jharkhand in
2000, it was re-christened as Jharkhand Armed Police. Times have changed, but
we have not, jawan Mr Pradhan said.
thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=2&theme=&usrsess=1&id=173411
Jharkhand Online Forum
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