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

• Jaherthan
• Sohrai
• Mage Parab

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. "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.

External links

• Khan, Md Amin; Monika. "The role of "Sarna" in forest conservation and wildfire prevention: An indigenous tribal religion of India". The London School of Economics .