Ker Puja is an important tribal festival celebrated during Shravan month in Tripura. Usually, Kerpuja begins two weeks after Kharchi Puja. In 2026, Kher Puja date is August 11.
Ker Puja is performed by Tripura’s royal family within their place. It is performed for the welfare, integration, and prosperity of the state.
Goddess Ker is considered as the guardian deity of Vastu Devata. Ker Pooja includes offerings, sacrifices, and a prescribed boundary which both safeguards people from calamities and saves people from external aggression.
The Guardian Deity: The deity Ker is considered the protector of the royal family and the state of Tripura. Rather than an idol, Ker is symbolically represented by a specially crafted bamboo structure wrapped in red threads, flowers, and cotton.
Strict Sanctuary Lockdown: During the festival, a specific perimeter (historically centered around the royal palace premises in Agartala) is declared a sacred zone. Once the Chantai (head priest) initiates the rituals:
—> Entry and exit across the boundary are completely prohibited.
—-> Speaking loudly, lighting fires, wearing shoes, or making noise inside the zone is strictly forbidden.
Pregnant women and sick individuals are temporarily moved outside the ritual boundary beforehand to avoid hardship during the lockdown.
Severe Penalties for Disturbance: If any rule or boundary is breached, the sanctity of the puja is broken, requiring the entire ritual to be restarted from the beginning.
Royal Heritage: Though now sponsored by the State Government of Tripura following the merger agreement of 1949, the tradition continues to be led by tribal royal priests following centuries-old indigenous tribal practices.