Santhal Dance
Village Bandwan, West Bengal
The Santhals are the largest tribe living
in the state of Bihar constituting 36.5% of the total tribal population
of the state. Racially the Santhals belong to the protoastraloid racial
group, linguistically they belong to the Mundari group of Austro-Asiatic linguistic family and economically they may be classified as plain agrecultural type. (1) The Santals are very conscious about their identity and heritage. They have consciously or unconsciously built up a sense of solidarity amongst themselves. Their internal solidarity is often based on their principle of likeness, that is a shared cultural characteristics which bind them together. (2) |
"Karam festival is celebrated by the
Santal in the month of Aswin (September- October) in order to have increased
'wealth and progeny' and to get rid of the evil spirits. During this
festivals, two youths after being purified, fetch two branches of Karam
tree from the forest and plant them just outside the house. The head
of the household offers rice beer and other articles to Manjhi Haram
and Maran Buru and pray for the prosperity of the house. This worship
is followed with singing, dancing and playing of instrumental music.
All those present there, are given rice-beer." (2) |
According to their folk tales, in the beginning
there was only water in the world and then came land mass. At that time
the creator THAKURJI was living in the sky. On the request of his ife
THAKURJI created a pair of birds. On the branches of a Karam tree two
eggs were laid by the bird and from those eggs a couple of human beings
emerged. They made roofed huts and started cultivating crops. They gave
birth to seven sons and eight daughters and in this manner Santhal originated
and multiplied. (2) |
There is always a reserved open air space
in front of the Jag Manjhi's house as a dancing place. To this the young
men frequently resort after the evening meal, and the sound of their
flutes and drums soon attract the Maidens, who scooth and adjust to
their long hair and adding to it a flower or two blithely foin them.
(1) |
"Oh Flower Friend
I am thirsty
and I am hungry
But hearing the sound
of the drums under the canopy
My thirst and hunger are banished."
1. Sunil Kumar Basu. To Be With Santals. Cultural Research
Institute. Calcutta, 1982.
2. Kishore, Vijoy. The Santhals Nov 1990
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