santhali jagat

Sari Dharam

“The Santhal – clan of India” is one of the oldest clan of the world. In India this clan is called aborigines. The religion prevalent in this clan is called “Sari Dharam”. In this religion there is a great mythology named “Jomsim Binti”. Here, there is the theme and the details of religions customs and rituals of “Sari – Dharam”. “Jomsim Binti” describes the great savior “Thakur”, the creator of the universe, the details of his creation, the first man and women – Pilchu Haram, PilchuBurhi, Flora and Fauna and the creation of the seas and rivers and all other water bodies.
“Jomsim Binti” is a mythology based “Holy-writ”. The “Thakur” himself sent a God named Jomsim” to this earth to spread his glory among the people. During the worship of this God this “Holy-writ” is spoken out. So, this mythology is called “Jamsim Binti”. In recent times this mythology is found in written form. This mythology is mostly accepted among the Santhals as “Holy-writ” Till now this “Binti” was passed on from one generation to next generation in oral form but now it is available in written form. The Santhals lead their social and cultural lives by following “Sari-Dharam”.
According to “Jomsim Binti”, this universe has three clear divisions like “Sermapuri” or Heaven, “Dhartipuri” or Earth and Patalpuri or underground. The great creator himself (Thakur) and his wife Thakurain lived in this Heaven. In Patalpuri, there was only water and water alone and in between “Patalpuri” and “Sermapur”, there was this “Dhartipuri” which was round in shape and made of earth. According to this mythology, in the initial stage this universe was a deeply dark and endless inert mass. To its North–East direction there was a great mountain range named “Luguburu Ghantabare”. There was a great cave in this mountain and the mouth of this cave was covered with a great chunk of stone. “Thakur” (The Creator) thought of creating Gods and Goddesses with a view to spreading His glory in the universe and getting their help in creation. To do this, “Thakur” kept the earth on His index finger and kept it spinning in great motion. The Earth maintained its spinning motion in the great space and this universe too kept on moving. Due to this violent spinning the stony cover of the great mountain cave called “Dhirigarsini” slid and whirl of wind started coming out. “Thakur” (The Creator) created one by one God and Goddesess from the great cave of “Luguburu Ghantabare” when it was in whirling motion a power was created and an unnatural sound – “Hu-r-r Hu-r-r” was” produced, so another name of “Thakur” is “Huri” or “Hori”. Among these Gods “Marangburu” is most powerful God.
“Thakur” gave this “Marangburu” the great responsibility of bringing up the first man and woman and making this earth favorable for all the animals to live in. This “Marangburu” again maintained a great relation and communication between the Gods of “Sermapuri” (Heaven)) and “Thakur” “Marangburu”, his elder sister “Jaher Era” and his brother “Dharom” were engaged in the service of “Thakur” in “Sermapuri”. Jaher Era was engaged in cleaning the place of “Thakur”. Younger brother “Dharma” was engaged to arrange food for “Thakur” and “Thakurain”. “Marangburu” was in sole responsibility to supervise the “Chounria Mela” or the assembly of Gods of “Thakur” in heaven. From this “Chounria Mela” (assembly of Gods) the three worlds (viz. the heaven, the earth and the internal regions) were ruled. “Marangburu” would reach all the decisions taken by “Thakur” (the Creator) in consultation with other members of assembly of Gods to other section of the heaven. “Marangburu” again was in sole charge of bringing up the first man and woman “Pilchu Haram” and “PilchuBurhi”.
Thus, “Mararngburu” had to bear great responsibility both among the Gods and among man and woman. It is also known from “Jomsim Binti” that Thakur- Thakurain once came down to the Earth from Heaven and with them came down all the Gods and Goddesses to Earth. At that time as there was no Trace of water, there was no life or trees, with a view to creating life on Earth Thakur instructed all the Gods to dig up well in search of water. The work of digging halted due to a very hard layer under the earth. It was possible to pierce through the hard layer with the help of Thakur’s “Barchhi Hapa” (Sceptre). As soon as the hard layer was pierced there was a forceful fountain of water coming out of the “Patalpuri” (Internal region). It was water, and water. The earth was inundated; “Thakur” with all his Gods came up to Heaven through “torehsutom” (lightening). The earth remained inundated. It was like an endless ocean. In this water “Thakur” created aquatic animals like prawn, sheat fish, crabs, crocodile, tortoise, worm,whale, oyster, etc.
“Thakur” would observe the great ocean from Heaven and sometimes, would come down with Thakurain to bathe in the ocean. They would come down and go back through “torehsutom” (lightening). At that time Thakur was obsessed with the thought of creating man. One day when Thakur and Thakurain were busy in bathing, Thakurain had some dirt from her neck and held it in her palm and made one drake and duck and prayed to Great Thakur to give them life. At that time the Great Thakur was deeply meditating to create man. To honour the desire of Thakurain he gave an “ONG” (a blow from the mouth) to the two models of drake and duck. They instantly got life and started to swim in great joy. The drake (Hans) and the duck (Hansil) started to grow eating already created fish, oyster, snail etc as their food and taking rest on the lotus leaf created by all powerful Thakur. In course of time duck conceived and laid two eggs on the lotus leaf. Under the grace of Thakur two human off spring came out of the two eggs. One was male and the other was female. And they were the first man – “Pilchu Haram” and first woman - “Pilchu Burhi”. These two human offspring started to grow on the lotus leaf. Thakur understood that if the Sunken earth was not lifted from under the water those two human offspring could not be survive and so advised Marangburu to take imitative. Marangburu said to the great tortoise to float on the water and then he placed a great golden disc of the great Thakur on him. Then he asked the king of worm to bring mud from the depth of the water world. When Marangburu got the mud he kept it on the golden disc and created land measuring to one third of the earth.
On the other hand, the lotus leave was almost sinking under the weight of the ever growing human children. For their safety and security the drake and the duck (Hans and Hansil) lifted them on their back and kept on flying in the sky. Their appeal and cry for a safe place for keeping the children was echoing in heaven. Upon hearing their cry, “Thakur” instructed Marangburu to hasten making up the land mass on the earth. When the land was made favourable for the human children, “Thakur” advised the Hans and Hansil to put down their children on the earth. The Hans and Hansil came down on to the earth to put their children on the surface of the earth and went back to heaven and merged with the great “Thakur” and Thakuran”. Practically this Hans and Hansil were a part of the great “Thakur” and Thakurain”. Thus, the life given by all powerful “Thakur” took shape in body through Hans and Hansil.
Thakur gave another responsibility to Marangburu to grow the first human children “pilchu Haram – Pilchu Burhi” and to make favourable condition on earth for their habitation. Marangburu got help from his elder sister, Jaherera and youngest brother, Dharom Gosain to do this. Marangburu got them (Pilchu Haram-Pilchu Burhi) married. They had been living so long as a brother and a sister but Marangburu made them drunken to ignore their relation and they were united as husband and wife. And they gave birth to so many children. The earth, thus, was full of human habitation and the desire of Thakur was fulfilled. The duty of Marangburn was still not over. He taught humans the customs and ritual of chhatiar (ceremony of putting rice to child’s mouth) for the first time, marriages, last rites etc. Thus, Marangburu was both the saviour of mankind and the “Guru” (Preceptor). In the Santal community there is no tradition of Preceptor ship .Marangburu is the protector and the only medium of communication between “Thakur”, i.e., God and human kind.
With the passage of time and complexities of incidents, the progeny on “Pilchu Haram” and “Pilchu Buhri” kept on enlarging the members of the society. They took up cultivation as their occupation and started to live a community life. But with the growth of population man tended to be indiscipline and heretic. They went against the established social rules and principles for which “Thakur” had created them. Being outrageous “Thakur” started to shower fiery sparks in the human soul. As a result, the human race was on the verge of destruction. In this situation “Thakurain” held the hands of “Thakur” and appealed to him to control his rage. The great “Thakur” calmed down on condition that Marangburu would bring back the human race on the path of virtue, righteousness and religion. “Thakurain” called Marangburu and apprised him of the development. Thakurain gave the decors and ornaments of “Thakur”, the plume of peacock for the use in turban and anklet. She also gave all her dresses and ornaments like conch-bangle, vermilion and collyrium etc for distribution among the humans. She advised Marangburu to see that man wore all these dresses on the earth and chanted to invoke “Thakur and Thakurain”. And only then human race may be saved. Marangburu with company of twelve “Dashai Guru Boga” (Gods) came down on to the earth and met the human race, danced in those dresses and chanting the glory of “Thakur and Thakurain”. Thus, the desire of Holy Thakurain with the help of Marangburu was completed.When the people on earth was deeply celebrating the “Dashai” festival. Both the Thakur and Thakurain were happy and the rage and wrath of Thakur was mitigated and the human race was saved from destruction.”Dashai” is celebrated in the month of Dashai Chandu(Aswina).It start On the 6th day of the “Bright fort night” of the month Dashai Chandu(Aswina) which is called “Belboron”.This day people welcoming “Dashai Guru Boga” (Gods) .From seventh day of “Bright fort night” to ninth day of “Bright fort night” of the Dashai Chandu(Aswina) people Dance Dashai and visit all home in village. Among the participants in the “Dashai” festival some men dressed as women as the symbols of Thakurain and some adorn themselves in the dresses with plumes of peacock, on their heads to symbolise Thakur. Actually “Dashai” festival is to sing in praise the glory of Thakur and Thakurain.
Everything was sailing very smoothly; population of man and woman was growing. But they started to commit another crime. They ignored and neglected cattle, the great wealth that they got from Thakur through Marangburu. They were advised to take great care of the cows and drink their milk after offering it to Gods and take the help of bullock to cultivate their land and grow craps for their living.
But they took benefit from the cows and bullock without caring them. They drank up all the milk without offering it to Gods and also left the calves unfed. They made the bullocks toil hard on land but did not care to give them fodder, so the cows and bullocks were in great distress and were on the verge of destruction. They complained to the Thakur against men on their inhumanity and appealed to Thakur take them back to heaven to save them. Thakur become angry again and decided to take them back to heaven. Thakurain happened to know of the development and prayed to Thakur “Oh! Lord, if you take back the cows and bullocks to heaven, the whole human race will die in starvation. Please do not forget that the human race is also our creation. She requested to Marangburu to make the men take as much care possible for the cows and bullocks. You please control your anger”. Thakur controlled His anger and was pacified. Thakurain asked Marangburu to motivate the human race to arrange to worship cows and bullock in the lunar day of ‘Sohrae Candu’(kartika Month). Accordingly, following the sermons of Marangburu man worshipped cows and bullocks. But before that man washed them well, applied vermilion on their fore head, besmeared Oil on their Horns, and decorated their bodies applying different colours. They kept paddy, grass and enkindled lamp on a dish and offered “Chumara”(Arti) to the cow accompanied with hymns from the Religious Songs. Throughout the night they went from house to house chanting the hymns to keep the cows awake and they did so with musical instruments. Thakurain showed Thakur the charming scenery from heaven. This celebration is known as “SOHRAE” (celebration with the cows) on earth. Thus, with the active intervention of Thakurain, the human race was saved again.
Thakur realised that in want of a religious discipline man is going astray time and again. So, he ordered Marangburu to formulate a religions’ limitation or periphery including all rituals and rites which each and every member of the mankind would have to follow. And man lived in a strict social life.
To honour the instruction of Thakur, Marangburu ventured out unto the earth with intention to induct religious discipline, morality, sense of ethics and all other virtue in man. Men went to different trees, which were God incarnate to them, but failed to understand the truth underlying religion. They continued to search for this truth for long two hundred years. Thakurain could not bear this failure of men and she herself appeared before men in form of a “Matkom Tree”. Men tried hard but yet failed to realise the depth of complete truth. At long last Thakur Himself came down to the earth in form of the Great “Sal Tree”. Sitting under this Sal Tree, the incarnation of religion and Truth, knowledge and wisdom, man attained the power to understand the deeper meaning and divergent impact of Truth.
That was a grand occasion. The oracle resounded. All the Gods and Goddesses assembled under. Godly Sal Tree. There was a great assemble of men on earth resembling to the Assemble of Gods in heaven. Thakur made His presence on earth in the form of Sal tree and Marangburu made his presence in the form of a piece of stone to lie underneath the Sal Tree.
In Santhali language Sal tree is called “Sarjom” and the great Sal Tree which is the embodiment of Thakur is called “Sari sarjom” and the meaning of ‘Sari’ is Truth. That means in the world of mortality only Thakur is the “Ultimate Truth”. As Thakur is worshipped in this earth, the name of this religion is “Sari dharom”. So, in “Sari dharom” it is seen that the people of the Santhal Community worship a piece of stone under a Sal tree. The place under the Sal tree is called “Jaherthan”. In every Santhal village there is unmistakably a “Jaherthan”. The Gods and Goddesses who are worshipped here are Marangburu, Jaher Era, Dharom Gonsai, Mare-Ko, Turui-Ko, haram Gosain Purudhul etc. though Thakur Thakurain exist on earth in the form of the Great Sal Tree and Matkom Tree, men has not the capacity or access to worship them because, they are the God and Goddess of the Gods and Goddesses. So, on earth Thakur and Thakurain are not worshipped.
Every Santhal village is “Jaherthan” based. Members of the managing committee of this “Jaherthan” are Manjhi, Paranik, Jogmanjhi, Godet and Nayake. In a village they are known as “Ato-Morehor”(Panchajon,or a body of five). These five members look after the well-being of a village concerned. Head of the managing committee is the “Manjhi” and Nayake is the priest of the “Jaherthan”.
“Manjhi” is the Head of the Santhal Community. He controls the Community taking advice and suggestion, if necessary from others. Every villager is considered to be the Child of the “Manjhi”. So, “Manjhi” is called “Manjhibaba” also. Without a “Manjhi”, a Santhal community is blind and rudderless. Every childbirth in a village is brought to the notice of “Manjhi”, who with the help of the midwife sanctifies the lying-in-room.
When the baby attains the age of nine months, the “Manjhi” including others members of the “Ato-Morehor”(Panchajon) christens the baby and owns him as a member and follower of Sari dharom. This is done through a celebration organised by the respective householder called “Chacho-Chhatiyar”.
When the boy or the girl attains marriageable age, Manjhi-baba conducts all the ritual of the marriage ceremony. According to the custom of Sari-dharom in a Santhal community, a token dowry is given to the bride in her honour. The amount of the dowry may range from Rs. 3.00 to Rs. 7.00. In addition to this, the mother of the bride and grandmothers (both from paternal and maternal sides) are given sarees as a mark of honour.
Godaan (offering of Cow) is also made to the elder brother of the bride in his honour. All the dresses and decors are given to the bride by the bride-groom’s party. This type of give-and-take, takes place in the presence of the “Manjhi” and other members of the Panchajon.
The marriage ceremony is entirely religion based. Both the bride and the bride-groom are imbibed with the spirit and feelings of Thakur and Thakurain through religious rituals because Thakur and Thakurain created man & woman on this earth and this bride and bride-groom again create or give birth to further progeny. Before the earthly marriage, there is a spiritual marriage in the “asman” that is in Swargapuri (Heaven). The marriage takes place before sunrise, i.e. at dawn. As a part of the rituals, during this marriage ceremony the bride is seated in a “Daurah”( ceremonial basket) and five of the elder brothers of the bride-groom lift the basket as high as possible. On the other hand, the brother-in-law of the bride-groom lift him on his shoulder and this both the bride and the bride-groom are taken to a place covered with green twigs called “Chhamda” or “Chhamda tala” under which an alter is made with twigs of Sal Tree and Matkom Tree to represent Thakur and Tahkurain and in front of this alter two ceremonial pots or pitchers are placed filled with water. Then the bride and bride-groom are turned round thrice anti-clock wise in the lifted condition (as the earth moves rounded the sun). Then the bride-groom removes the veil from the head of the bride and applies vermilion. This is called “Sindur – Daan”. During this auspicious moment everybody present Chants “Haribol”. This is done to invoke Omnipotent Thakur. Thus, the union of human Thakur – Thakurain in the form of the bride-groom and bride in front of the twigs of Sal and Matkom, the embodiment of Thakur and Thakurain is called marriage. Under the “Chhamda” or “Chhadnatala”, Marangburu, Jaher-era, Dharom Gosain and other Gods and Goddesses like More-ko, Turui-ko are worshiped and complete religion fervour is created. After death also the last rites are completed under direct supervision of the “Manjhi”. the Head of council of Santhal society. After burning of the dead body, a piece of circular bone from the forehead is collected. This piece of bone is called “Jangbaha”, it is floated in “Telkupigaya ghat” meaning flowing river. The philosophy of this ritual is that after death man goes back to the same place from where it had originated. The human soul is offered into the ever flowing ocean where Thakur and Thakurain created human life. So, in the funeral procession, the people chant “Horibol” praying to offer the dead body to be united with the great lord, Thahur. And an appeal is made for the dead body to be absorbed in the five primary elements. This philosophy of the “Sari dharom” of the Santhal community finds its essence in different social and religious songs. Every social celebration or ceremony gets its completeness and perfections through the singing of these Songs. These Songs are carried through the ages by hearing and memorising when they are sung on different ceremonial occasions. If these Songs are analysed, the inherent philosophy of “Sari dharom” can be found. This article will be a lengthy one if every detail of the philosophy of ‘Sari dharom’ and its social and religious impact and influence is explained. So, just the essence of the ‘Sari dharam’ is given in a nut shell.