Tharu folk song 'Jabunik Rukhwa,' sung after Harairi puja, released as video

The music video of 'Jabunik Rukhwa,' or 'The Jamun Tree,' an original folk song of the Tharu community, was released on YouTube on Saturday. The song is traditionally sung after the Harairi puja.

Harairi puja, an important ritual of the Tharu community linked to farmland, is usually celebrated in August. The puja begins with rites performed by a guruwa (shaman-priest), and villagers gather at the house of the mukhiya, known as the badghar.

There, all the madal (drums), or mandra, from the village are brought together for the puja. With the first formal beat, called 'trasan,' a new cycle of songs and dances begins, after which the mandra is considered permitted to be played throughout the year.

Over time, the jhumra song has evolved into a celebration of the Tharu community's resilience and unity. Since it falls around the time the busy paddy transplanting season ends, jhumra gives villagers an occasion to gather, rest, sing and dance together.