How wildlife biologist Purnima Devi Barman sees bird worship as a force for conservation

A woman holding a microphone, surrounded by dozens of women and young unmarried girls, begins a gentle procession through the village. Their voices rise together singing biya naam (traditional Assamese wedding songs) that tell the story of a girl, how her life transforms after marriage, how her responsibilities shift, and how she must nurture and care for her new family.

This is Sorai Puja, celebrated every December across the village of Kulhati in Hajo, Assam.

A festival where “Sorai” means bird and “Puja” means to worship, it represents a deep connection between girls, birds, culture, and spirituality. Through these clay birds and songs, villagers pray for the wellbeing of young girls, wishing that they find a good life partner and step into a peaceful married life.

Last year, when Dr. Purnima Devi Barman, the internationally acclaimed conservation biologist known for leading the women-led Hargila Army, visited Kulhati, she was taken by surprise. Purnima, celebrated for her pioneering efforts to save the endangered Greater Adjutant Stork (Hargila) and for forming the all-female conservation movement dedicated to protecting the species and its habitat, had come to the village to work with women on environmental awareness. It was during this visit that she learned Kulhati also hosts a nesting colony of the endangered Hargila.

What amazed her even more was the discovery of Sorai Puja.

“During our women’s environment education campaign, I saw groups of women making thousands of tiny clay birds,” she said. “In the namghar (community prayer hall in Assam), they told me these were for Sorai Puja. I was astonished to learn that this tradition has been practiced for ages.”

Women walk through the streets under the full moon of Aghon (December), singing wedding songs, carrying clay birds, and offering them to every household. Villagers pray with these birds for peace, prosperity, and especially for the wellbeing and future of young unmarried girls.

Moved by the beauty of the tradition, Purnima found a natural connection between Sorai Puja and her life’s work with the Hargila. She encouraged the women of Kulhati to integrate the Hargila statue into their rituals, honouring a bird that is critically endangered and deeply tied to Assam’s ecology.

This year, she walked with the women during the celebrations, an experience she described as filled with joy, spirituality, and a powerful bond with nature.

In 2025, Kulhati revealed even more significance: a new nesting colony of Greater Adjutant Storks with around 70 nests, making it an emerging stronghold for the species. Just five-six kilometres from Dadara, the world’s largest Hargila breeding site, Kulhati has now become another vital habitat.

Purnima explained that preparations for Sorai Puja begin a month in advance. On December 4, nearly 100 women gathered after sunset, singing, telling stories through folk songs, and distributing clay birds to every household.

For her, this blend of culture, conservation, womanhood, and spirituality is what makes Kulhati’s Sorai Puja truly extraordinary.

She added, “This is a powerful cultural element, and we want our Hargila conservation awareness movement to remain rooted in these traditions. Our entire campaign has always been about culture and tradition, and now we see it as even more powerful.”