The Festivals of Jharkhand

Various civilizations across the Indian subcontinent celebrate up to forty festivals in perfect harmony, and Jharkhand hosts many festivals and fairs throughout the year. This state miraculously mixes antiquity with plenty. As a result, the state of Jharkhand’s festival celebrations are characterised by remarkable ebullience and traditional fervour. The tribal celebrations in the state are also full of fervour and enthusiasm. Karma, Sarhul, and Sohrai are some of the state’s most important tribal festivals.

Let’s have a peek at some Jharkhand festivities.

Karam/Karma

The Karam festival is a devotion to Karam devta, the god of power, youth, and youthfulness. Karam is conducted on the 11th of the moon in Bhadra month. Young peasants go into the bush to harvest wood, fruits, and flowers in groups. These are essential for the Karam God’s Puja. People sing and dance in groups at this time. The drumbeat day of the phases appears to be causing the entire valley to dance. In Jharkhand’s tribal territory, this is one of the few examples of such a strong and thriving youth event. The Baiga, Oraon, Majhwar, and Binjhwar tribes of the state celebrate this festival.

Sarhul

This is the biggest festival of Jharkhand’s tribal population. Sarhul’s verbal meaning is “worship of the Sal tree.” Sarhul can also be classified as worship of nature in which locals worship Sita, the wife of Lord Rama, as “Dharti Mata”. They also revere the sal tree, which is thought to be the home of Goddess Sarna, who protects the community from all natural disasters.

When the new flowers appear, people begin to dance and sing. For a few days, the Pahan, or village priest, fasts. The priests take a bath and put on a dhoti made of kachha dhaga in the morning. The priests take three new earthen pots and fill them with water the night before dusk; the next morning, they inspect the earthen pots and the water level within. They anticipate that if the level of water drops, there will be less rain or famine, and if the amount of water is typical, there will be plenty of rain. The priest’s wife washes his feet and asks the priest for blessings before the pooja begins.

Priests sing prayers as Dhol, Turhi, and Nagara players continue to play. In the Chotanagpur region, the event lasts for weeks. The festival is known as “Baa Porob” in the Kolhan region, which means “Flower Festival.” Thus, the festival of Sarhul brings prosperity and joy to the state.

Tusu Parab or Makar

This event is predominantly observed in the Jharkhand region between Bundu, Tamar, and Raidih. This belt has a long and illustrious history dating back to India’s independence struggle. TUSU is a winter harvest festival held on the last day of the Poush month. It’s also for girls who aren’t married. Girls use coloured paper to decorate a wooden or bamboo frame, which they later give to a nearby mountainous river. Although there is no documented history of this festival, it does have a large collection of enthralling songs that are full of life and flavour. 

Rohini

Rohini is likely Jharkhand’s first festival. It’s an event dedicated to seed propagation in the field. Farmers begin dispersing seeds on this day, but unlike other ethnic celebrations, there is no singing or dancing, only a modest number of ceremonies. Some festivals, such as Chitgomha and Rajaswala Ambavati, are held in conjunction with the Rohini festival.

Bhagta Parab

This festival takes place between the spring and summer seasons. Bhagta Parab is widely known among the tribal people of Jharkhand for its Budha Baba worship. During the day, people fast and transport the bathing Pahan, the priest, to the Sarana Mandir. When the Pahan, also known as Laya, emerges from the pond, the devotees form a chain by locking their thighs together and walking forward to offer Laya their bare chest for walkover.

Devotees participate in a lively and vigorous Chhau dance with lots of gymnastic moves and masks after evening devotion. The following day is filled with archaic daring sports. Devotees pierce their skin with hooks and attach themselves to one end of a long horizontal wooden pole that hangs from the top of a vertical shal wood pole. The people and the tied devotees pull the other end of the pole, which is connected with a rope, around the pole, displaying the breath-taking dance in the sky. This celebration is especially famous in Jharkhand’s Tamar region.

Sohrai

Sohrai is well-known for caring for domestic animals, including cows and buffaloes. Because these animals are so vital in an agricultural civilization, taking adequate care of them and ensuring their welfare is an important Sohrai rite. It is observed on the new moon day, shortly following Diwali. Earthen lamps are lit in the evening. The calves are bathed the next day, and vermilion mixed with oil is applied to them before they are garlanded. Bullfights are among the games that are part of the festivities.

Conclusion

The state of Jharkhand celebrates many festivals, marking harmony and prosperity throughout the year. Some of Jharkhand’s famous festivals such as Karam, Sarhul, Makar, Rohini, and Sohrai have been discussed above, but apart from this, there are many other festivals celebrated across the state.

These include Chhath Puja, which is the Hindu and Vedic festival dedicated to the God of the Sun, Surya. Next is Jani-Shikaar, which is performed in honour of the women of Kurukh in Rohtasgarh to drive away the Mohameddens who attempted to seize the citadel during the Sharhul festival. Last but not least, Hal Punhya begins in the fall of the winter season. The first day of the month of Magh, known as “Hal Punhya” or “Akhain Jatra,” is well-regarded as the start of ploughing.