Religious Ceremony Of Santhals

On the day of the initiation, the villagers are summoned to the appointed place by the 'godet' of the village. After the villagers have gathered, the midwife who took the child's delivery or any other elderly women in the village bathes those who are to be initiated by pouring water over them.

Three young girls then anoint everyone present with oil and turmeric starting with the village headman and his wife. Rice beer is served to all after which they sing and dance. An elderly person then recites an account of the Creation of the Universe and Man, the wanderings and the migratory routes taken by the ancestors and the events leading to the present settlement in the village.

Thus, the initiated one along with the rest of the villagers are made aware of the Santal tribal lore and about other santal traditions. No sacrificial offering is made and the drinking of rice-beer is a witness by the village folk to have admitted the initiated ones fully into the society.

Sakam Orec'Ceremony

Just as there are rituals and ceremonies for contracting a marriage, divorce is also accomplished through a simple ceremony called 'Sakam orec' (tearing off the leaves). During the appointed day, villagers from the two villages ( that of the boy and the girl) gather in the husband's village.

The village headman presides over the ceremony. The husband and wife are made to stand facing each other with a 'lota' filled with water placed in front of them. The village headman then addresses the villagers and then invokes the jaher bongas to be witness to the event.

The customary payments are then made in case the divorce has been agreed upon. The party willing to have the divorce then stands on his/her left foot and tears three sal leaves down the midrib; after this, he/she kicks the 'lota' dak' by his right foot. Next, the man bows followed by the women around to the villagers gathered there. This completes the "Sakam Orec'' ceremony.

Umul  Ader / Tel Nahan ceremony

The ceremony is performed normally on the 5th day of the death of a person. Traditionally it is believed that the death defiles the household and the village and so no social ceremonies or functions can be held in the village until Umul Ader has been performed. Thus the ceremony is performed for two specific reasons:-

• To release the dead person now in the form of shadow (Umul) from the clutches of evil powers(malevolent spirits).
• To purify the household and the village from the defilements brought about by the death of the person.

The ceremony has two parts:-

a) Purificatory: On the day of the ceremony the villagers along with the relatives gather at the deceased person's house from where they go to the grave. Here the chief mourner takes a handful of soil and puts into a new earthen pot after burring them.

While returning to the village they are met by women folk at the end of the village kulhi here the pot is smashed and the contents are sprinkled with water and turmeric.

Then the chief mourner collects some burnt soil and carries it on a leaf plate and proceeds for a purificatory bath along with others. After the bath, the chief mourner offers 'sal twigs' and oil cakes to the Maran Buru, Pilchu Haram, and Pilchu Budhi and implores the Maran Buru to keep the deceased soul in the shadow of the house.

b) After the purificatory bath, they return to the house of the deceased. Here two persons become possessed one by spirits of Maran Buru and the other by the spirit the deceased.

The deceased spirits are then asked the reason for his departure to Hana puri - whether it was by his free will or whether it has been one to illness or hostility. On getting suitable replies the two persons again continue their usual duties.

The chief mourner then offers the sacrificial animals to the deceased spirit; the relatives and the villagers also offer fowls to the deceased spirit; the sacrificial animals are killed with blows on the back (kutam) and not by beheading them.

All those gathered then have rice beers and partake of the sacrificial meals. They then return to their house. The completion of the Umul Ader ceremony results in the release of the deceased person from the clutches of the evil spirit but is still to be admitted into the kingdom of hapramko (ancestors). In a way, the spirit has not reached his final abode but is still in his journey.

Bhaandan

The bhaandan ceremony is the final death ceremony that is meant to achieve:-

• The total purification of the household and the village.
• Enables the deceased to reach his final abode in hanapuri.

Bhaandan is normally performed at the discretion of the deceased person's household depending upon his financial ability. On a prefixed day, the villagers and the relatives gather in the deceased person household; the chief mourner shaves his head and others shave their beards.

They then have the usual purificatory baths. After their return they eat taben,khajari in the household; three persons are then possessed by the spirits of the deceased, the founder of the village and Maran Buru, once again the deceased person is asked the cause of his death. On getting a positive reply they again resume their normal functions.

The sacrificial offering (goat) is made by the chief mourns at the courtyard on a Khond. The goat is usually killed by the Jog-Manjhi by a hit with the butt end of an axe. This sacrificial offering is made to the spirit of the dead person 'who' is invoked to protect all his living relatives and keep away evil spirits from them.

The villagers and other relatives attending the Bhaandan ceremony also make an offering of fowls to the dead person's spirits. This is followed by rice-beer libations.

The sacrificial meat is then dressed and cooked with rice (sura daka); the chief mourner then offers some of this sura to the spirit of the dead person invoking him to accept the food and totally clean the household from all the impurities.

Then all the relatives and villagers partake of the sacrificial sura. The people then dance and sing the whole night. After this, all the person disperse. Through this ceremony, the household and the village becomes completely free from all impurities and can thus receive the blessing of the benevolent spirits.