Rogonadur

Rogonadur

December-January

The Saora people, who live in the hills of eastern India and worship their own gods rather than those of the Hindus, celebrate a harvest festival in December or January known as Rogonadur, which refers to a type of bean known as the red gram. The festival, which lasts several days, is preceded by a religious ceremony a week or so before, in which the priest makes an offering of new gram to the gods and appeals to them to visit for the festival.
Bunches of fresh gram decorate village homes and shrines for the celebration, which includes dancing and music at each shrine. In the mornings people make private offerings of gram to the gods in their homes before heading outside to start the communal festivities. After a few days, the priest holds a concluding ceremony, makes a final offering, then dismisses the gods.
See also Jammolpur Ceremony

SOURCES:
CelebNature-1969, p. 116