Come Shivratri,Tamar, about 55kms from Capital city Ranchi,celebrates the marriage of Lord Shiva with fun and frolic and faith.

The local Adivasis call the event “Koka Parv”.

To mark the mythical marriage of the Lord Shiva,the people joining in groups line up the streets in Tamar.Through these streets passes the marriage procession.The processionists comprise men in guises of ghosts,demons,evils and devils.They are supposed to be Baratis of Lord Shiva leading to the house of Parvati for the marriage.

The scene is no different this time.Bakhtas’ (local priests) are set to participate in the procession,Like every year,this year too they will get dressed up as normal human beings, wearing garlands of local flower ‘Gulaichi'(White Frangipani)and marigold.

These Bakhtas keep fast ranging from 3-11 days prior to the procession and eat only fruits to get the Lord Shiva tie nupitial knots with Goddess Parvati..

The head priest, called ‘Paat Bakhta’ performs the main ritual during the mythical marriage of Lord Shiva. An earthen pot carrying holy water and covered with a crown of banana flower pricked with stems of the gulaichi flower is carried on his head in procession with accompanying drum beats and the bakhtas in front.

In Ranchi,the Shiva Ki Barat is taken out with fun and frolic.This time the Barat is to be greeted by Former CM Arjun Munda and Jharkhand Assembly Speaker CP Singh.Zulfikar Ali,a Muslim,who wears the mask of a demon in the marriage procession,says he meticulously applies the black paint on his face with a piece of broken mirror in hand to see that the paint does not spread.