Why do families in Bihar beat bamboo baskets after Diwali?

Dalidar Bhagao is a folk tradition observed in parts of Bihar in the early morning hours after Diwali. Families beat a bamboo winnowing basket called a 'soop' while chanting phrases asking poverty to leave and Goddess Lakshmi to stay. The soop is used as it traditionally separates grain from husk, symbolising the removal of negativity and misfortune.