The essence of the Sarna faith revolves around nature worship. Its core principles emphasize jal (water), jaṅgal (forest) and jamīn (land), with adherents offering prayers to trees and hills while believing in the protection of forests.[3] This belief centers around the reverence of Sarna, the sacred groves of village communities, where the village deity, known as Gram Deota resides, and where sacrificial offerings are made twice a year. It is also referred to as "Sarna Dharma" or the "Religion of the Holy Woods",[5][6] and it holds the distinction of being India's largest tribal religion.[1]
Etymology
The term "Sarna", derived from the Mundari language, means "sacred grove" and refers to sites where tribal religious practices take place. However, the term for a sacred grove varies among tribes; for instance, the Santals and Bhumijs call it Jaherthan, the Oraons call it Kurukh Kuti, and the Hos call it Desauli.[7][8] Additionally, Sarna is etymologically related to the name of the Sal tree.[9]
The socio-political movements that emerged among the tribal communities of the Chota Nagpur region in the late nineteenth century, such as the Birsa Munda movement, the Tana Bhagat movement, and the Dupub movement, shaped a collective tribal consciousness. Though their primary focus was on autonomy in response to colonial expansion, these movements also addressed the preservation of ancestral practices and belief systems by resisting external religious influences. This period laid the foundation for ethno religious identity among tribals, with emerging expressions such as Marangburu practices and Kherwarism among the Santal, Dupub faith among the Ho, early articulation of Sarna and Birsaite path among the Mundas.[10]
Sarnaism, as a religious identity, emerged in the 1930s, following the assertion of a collective indigenous identity as Adivasi by tribal activists in the Chota Nagpur region of erstwhile Bihar. They articulated a unifying religious identity for the diverse, nature basedancestral practices of tribal communities, with the purpose of asserting Adivasi distinctiveness from mainstream religions of India such as Hinduism, Christianity, or Islam.[11][12][13] However, initially, the unifying concept was prevalent among the Oraons of erstwhile Ranchi under the ethno-religious term Adivasi. Later, in light of socio-political developments, the Oraon and Ho communities accepted the Mundari ethno-religious term Sarna to represent their religious identity. Sarnaism gained broader acceptance through socio-political leaders like Jaipal Singh Munda, Raghunath Murmu, who spearheaded its cultural and political significance.[14][15][7][16] Sarnaism experienced steady growth after the independence of India, incorporating diverse tribal communities into its fold, including larger tribes like the Santals, who had initially refrained from accepting its tenets but gradually aligned with the Sarna identity over the following decades. Politically, Sarnaism grew alongside the Jharkhand movement, formulated by the Adivasi Mahasabha and its offspring political organization, the Jharkhand Party, which was centered on the motifs of tribal identity and the demand for separate autonomy. The movement culminated on 15 December 2000, the birth anniversary of Birsa Munda, when the tribal-concentrated southern region of Bihar was bifurcated to form the separate state of Jharkhand.[17][18][19]
Theology
The adherents of Sarnaism believe in, worship, and revere a village deity as protector of village called Gaon khunt, Gram deoti, Marang Buru, Singbonga, or by other names by different tribes.[20] Adherents also believe in, worship, and revere Dharti ayo or Chalapachho Devi, the mother goddess identified as the earth or nature.
Practices
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Sarna worshippers following their religious rites
Sarna is place of worship which is sacred grove in Chotanagpur. It is called Jaher than or Jaher gar among Santal, and can be found in villages. Sal trees are in the sacred grove. The ceremonies are performed by the whole village community at a public gathering with the active participation of village priests, Pahan and assistant Pujar in Chotanagpur. The priest is called Naike among Santal. The sthal typically has multiple trees like sal, mahua, neem, and banyan.
The main festival of Sarnaism is Sarhul, a festival in which devotees worship their ancestors. During the festival, the pahan brings three water pots to the sarna. If the water pots reduce in level, they believe the monsoon will fail, but if it stays the same the monsoon will come as normal. Men then offer sakua flowers and leaves.[21]
Additionally, there are 506,369 followers of Sari Dharam in India,[2] primarily followed by the Santal tribe of West Bengal, representing 94.43% of the total Sari Dharam adherents.[27] The religious denomination, which often considered as synonyms or sect of Sarnaisim.
Also the demand for a separate Sarna religious code has clashed with RSS-backed groups like the Vanvasi Kalyan Kendra, which promote Hindu temples, schools, and rituals in tribal villages. Sarna activists liken these efforts to Christian missionary methods, saying both try to subsume tribal identity, and argue that Sarnaism cannot be treated as part of Hinduism since it worships nature without idols or codified rituals. They insist that only separate recognition can protect their distinct traditions and tribal identity.[29]
The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) has suggested that Sarna religion be accorded independent category in the religion code of the Census of India.[30] Several tribal organisations and Christian missionaries are demanding a distinct census code for Sarnaism.[31][32] The Indian Minister of Tribal Affairs, Jual Oram, had, however, claimed in 2015, "There is no denial of the fact that tribals are Hindus."[33] The comment led to protests from 300 tribals, over 100 of whom were arrested by the police to clear the way for Oram, who was going to inaugurate a fair.[34] Adivasi Sarna Mahasabha leader and former MLA Dev Kumar Dhan said that followers of the Sarna religion were not happy with the statement made by Oram and added, "If Jainism, having a population of hardly 60 lakh, can have a separate religion code in the Census forms, why can't Sarnas? This tribal religion have more than 10 crore followers spread over the Fifth Scheduled states like Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharastra, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and Odisha. Instead of taking steps to ensure a separate religion code, he is saying Sarnas are Hindus".[34]
In 2020, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha's (JMM), which was in power in Jharkhand at that time, passed a unanimous assembly resolution on 'Sarna Code' for the inclusion of Sarna as separate religion in 2021 census, and sent to central government for approval.[35][36]
Many tribal organizations seek its recognition as a distinct religious category for indigenous peoples.[3] Several Christian churches also support the recognition of Sarna as a different religion from Hinduism.[37] But the RSS is against the recognition of Sarna as a separate religion as it believes that tribal people are Hindus.[33]
↑ Borde (2017), p.167: "Jaipal Singh Munda, the leader of the Jharkhand movement is reported to have formulated the basic tenets of what is now known as the Sarna Dharam."
Virottam, Balmukund (2020). Religious History of the Chotanagpur Tribes: (Sarna Dharam to Christianity). Himalaya Publishing House. ISBN978-93-90515-60-8. OCLC1320817862.
Behera, M.C., ed. (2024). The Routledge Handbook of Contemporary Readings on Tribe and Religions in India: Emerging Negotiations (1sted.). Routledge India. doi:10.4324/9781003516415. ISBN9781032522159.
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