Santhal Community Worship (Bonga Buru)

The Santhals celebrate a few festivals that are not related to the agricultural cycle nor are celebrated annually, A few important festivals under this category are - Jom sim, Mak'-more and Karam.

Jom sim

Jom sim festival is a clan celebration wherein the sacrificial offering is made in honour of the Sun God. Traditionally every household should attempt to celebrate it once in a lifetime at any definitely fixed time.

Mak'-More

This festival is traditionally observed by the Santals at an interval of more (five) years; during the festival, a white goat is sacrificed by the village Naeke to `Moreko-turuiko' as a token of thanksgiving on behalf of the villagers for having kept the village free from diseases.

Karam

Karam festival is not an annual festival nor it is performed by the villagers as a whole. This festival usually organized in the month Asin (September - October) is sponsored by a household. The exceptional feature of this festival is that no sacrifices are offered but only rice-beer libations are poured out to Manjhi-Haram Bonga and Maran-Buru.

Karam celebration usually starts in the evening after darkness falls in the village; two unmarried men after bathing go to the nearby forest to bring two branches of Karam tree (Adina cordifolia); the village folk accompanies them to the forest and back dancing and singing durumjak'.

The two men then plant the Karam Dar on the kulhi outside side the house where Karam is to be celebrated and the villagers continue dancing and singing around the branches. The household elder then comes out, sprinkles water, put a cloth over the branches and a small light is lit in front.

He then puts sindur over the branches and offers rice-beer libations in front of the branches invoking Maran-Buru and Manjhi Haram Bonga each time. These spirits are implored to give property and wealth to the household. The villagers also offered rice-beer drinks.

The village elders then start reciting `Karam Binti' - the history of the creation of the universe and mankind (Santals), the division into clans and subclans. This is followed by dancing and singing till the sunrise; then the branches are taken out and immersed in the village pond.

Karam-Binti

Another important event that takes place during the festival is the formalization of the life-long friendship between two unmarried youths of the same sex; this is accomplished by putting the Karam buds in each others hair.

The friendship thus accomplished between the boys is called Karmu Dharmu and Karamdar among the girls. Henceforth, the youths enter into a new relationship the boys having the status of brothers, while the girls become sisters.

Hariar Sim

The festival is celebrated in the month of San (July-August) when the paddy seeds begin to germinate pushing out new shoots. The rituals associated include sacrificial offering to the bongas imploring them to have a green (hariar) and luxuriant growth of the paddy.

The village Naeke after overnight fasting takes the usual purificatory bath in the morning. Then he takes two fowls and a hatak' (winnowing fan) containing flour, Adwa Caole,sindur and some paddy seedlings to the Jaher thaan.

Sacrificial offerings are made by him to the village bongas i.e. to Maran Buru, Moreko-turuiko, Jaher Era, Gosae-Era, Pargana Bonga, Manjhi Haram Bonga as also to the Sima Bongas. Then he returns to his house and offers rice beer to the villagers visiting his house. It is only after this festival that the paddy transplantation begins.