Sarna (place)

A Sarna is a place of worship for Adivasi groups in the Chotanagpur region of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Bihar and Odisha.[1][2][3] It is a sacred grove, where people gather to celebrate local festivals and perform rituals.[4]

Significance

Sarna is a sacred grove of Sal trees and is also known as "Sarai" in Chotanagpur. It is a forested area that is present in the village.[5] According to traditional beliefs, the Sarna is the residing place of the gaon khut (village deity), a manifestation of the founder of the village.

Ritual

Each year people gather to offer sacrifices to Singbonga ("Sun Deity"), Jaher Budhi, Buru Bonga, and to their ancestors, to ensure a good harvest and safety. The village priest in the Chotanagpur region is known as a Pahan or a Laya. The Pahan is assisted by another priest called the "deori". Animal sacrifice, specifically Goat or Hen sacrifice, is a common practice. Cooked meat is eaten with 'tapan' (liquor).[4] Most notably, the festival Sarhul, a spring festival takes place in a Sarna.[6][7]

Several indigenous peoples, including the Santals, call such practices "Sarnaism", a distinct religion from Hinduism.[8][9] The Santals, call their sacred groves "Jaher" and their village priest "Naike".[10][11]

See also

References

  1. ^ Jewitt, Sarah (31 July 2019). Environment, Knowledge and Gender: Local Development in India's Jharkhand. Routledge. ISBN 978-1351729895. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  2. ^ Manish Ranjan (2022). JHARKHAND GENERAL KNOWLEDGE 2021. Prabhat Prakashan. ISBN 9789354883002.
  3. ^ "बख्तर साय मुंडल सिंह के बताए राह पर चलें". bhaskar. Retrieved 5 December 2019.
  4. ^ a b "सरहुल पर अनूठी परंपरा... झारखंड के इस गांव में खौलते तेल में हाथ डालकर बनाए जाते हैं पकवान". jagran. 3 April 2022. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  5. ^ Sanjay Nath (2015). "Pages from the Old Records: A Note on 'The "Kols" of Chota-Nagpore' by E.T. Dalton". academia.edu: 34. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  6. ^ "All You Need to Know About the Festival Celebrated in Jharkhand". news18. 4 April 2022. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  7. ^ "झारखंड में मनाया जा रहा है प्रकृति का पर्व सरहुल, झूम रहे हैं लोग". zeenews. 4 April 2022. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  8. ^ "Explained: What Is The Sarna Religious Code And What Are Its Followers Demanding?". outlook india. 18 October 2022. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
  9. ^ "ST panel for independent religion status to Sarna". The Times of India. 6 February 2011. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  10. ^ Schulte-Droesch, Lea (2018). Making place through ritual : land, environment and region among the Santal of Central India. De Gruyter. p. 187. ISBN 978-3-11-053973-8. OCLC 1054397811.
  11. ^ Hembrom, Timotheas (1996). The Santals : anthropological-theological reflections on Santali & biblical creation traditions (1 ed.). Calcutta: Punthi Pustak. p. 41. ISBN 81-86791-00-0. OCLC 35742627.


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