The Festival of Salhesh

Domain:Social practices, rituals and festive events

State:

Description:

Salhesh is the chief deity of the socially marginalised and downtrodden Dusadh Dalit community. The festival of Salhesh provides identity, social cohesion and self respect to the community. It is celebrated in the Mithila region of Bihar every year during the auspicious month of Shravan (Rainy season), the chief components of the festival are folklore, rituals, craftsmanship and performing arts. The knowledge and skills involved in the entire festival are transferred from one generation to another through oral tradition. The rituals are performed by a priest (Bhagat). In the rituals, the artists (Manarias) enact the legend of Salhesh through music and dance in which the Bhagat takes the lead role. The performance includes instrumental music, recital of songs in the local dialect, dancing, acrobatics and symbolic gestures. The festival culminates with votive offerings of terracotta horse-riders to the deity. This cultural heritage is in danger of being lost as the younger generations prefer more lucrative and respectable careers. Some measures for preservation of this practice have been taken by the State, art connoisseurs and the community itself, to create awareness about this rich cultural heritage.