If you’ve wondered why Jharkhand city Pujas don’t play up the rich tribal culture of the state, here’s great news.

This year, RR Sporting Club Puja Committee of Ratu Road, near All India Radio Ranchi station, as well as Railway Station Puja Committee are celebrating tribal culture in a big way.

From vibrant figures to ethnic artefacts, including hunting weapons, tribal culture from across the world rules the RR Sporting Club Puja Committee pandal. At the Railway Station Puja Committee pandal, it is more about Jharkhand’s tribal culture, from Sohrai paintings to the unique Jani Shikar hunt.

Rahul Yadav, president of RR Sporting Club Puja Committee, said they had chosen various themes over the past many years. “But this is for the first time that we thought of choosing tribal culture that our state is so obviously identified with as our theme for this Puja,” he said.

Right now, workers are busy with last-minute preparations. But the panels of paintings, as well as mounted human figures in traditional attire, look very attractive. Also eye-catching are horses, spears, masks and even cookware used by the tribals.

Railway Station Puja Committee’s president Munchun Rai said they wanted to highlight some features of Jharkhand’s tribal civilisation.

“Our Puja is practically the gateway of the capital,” he smiled. “So it is fitting that visitors and residents get to see the state’s rich tribal culture at our Puja.”

At this pandal, visitors can see Sohrai paintings and chhau dance. While both sides of the entrance have been decorated with the faces of nagada and dhamsa, two iconic tribal drums used in many dances including chhau, the pandal has a giant-sized mask used in chhau dance and panels that depict some prominent aspects of tribal life such as dances and hunting.

There are scenes of Jani Shikar, when tribal Oraon women go out hunting once every 12 years dressed in men’s clothes, in memory of their ancestors who put up a spirited fight against Mughal military might. Some Sohrai paintings, like the ones seen in Hazaribagh villages, have also been used here.

Artisans from Bengal, including mask-makers from Purulia district, are working overtime with thermocol and papier-mâché to complete the work on time.

RR Sporting Club on Ratu Road on Mahasashthi Monday. Prashant Mitra