Tribal Festival Tour

BHADU

Celebration of Aus paddy harvesting in the month of Bhadra. H.H. Risly in his Tribes and Castes of Bengal

referred to Bhadu as goddess, popular among Bagdis and Bouris in Bamkura, Purulia(Manbhum)districts.

Mid of of September

KARAM PARAB/ IND PARAB

This festival is celebrated in the month of Aswin i.e., during the month of September-October. During this festival they pray for wealth and progeny and to get rid of the evil spirits. The head of the household offers rice beer and other articles to Manjhi Haram and Maran Buru and all those present there are given rice-beer. By singing and dancing they worship their deities whole the day. Mid of September- Mid of October

HARIAR SIM & IRI-GUNDHI NAWAI

Hariar Sim is celebrated in the month of Bhadra i.e., during the month of August-September…

when the village spirits are worshipped with the sacrifice of fowl for a bumper crop. After the festival, the villagers began to transplantation of paddy seedlings.
Mid of August..

AKHAN JATRA

First day of Magh is regarded as Akhan Jatra, believed as auspicious day

Mid of January

BHANSING PUJA

here is no image of Bhansingh who is regarded as God to protect cattle

Mid of January to Mid of February

DHARMA PUJA

Images in various shape and form are visible in various parts of the district

Mid of April to Mid of 15 May

ROHINI UTSAV

Cultivators sow seeds and celebrates

Last week of May

BANDHNA PARAB / SOHARE

The largest, merriest and most important festival of the Santals in West Bengal is Sohrae, also called Bandhna parab. Sohrae, also called Bandhna parab. This is mainly a harvest festival which is celebrated in the month of Pous i.e., Held after Kalipuja. Popular among Kurmi, Bhumij, Korha, Lodha communities. To Santhals and Mundas this is known as Sohray. This festival is considered as the thanks-giving ceremony when the Santals offer thanks to their sprits. During this ceremony relatives and friends are invited and offered with rice-beer and food etc. Mid of October to 1st Week of November

EROK SIM

It is the first agricultural festivals of the Santal in West Bengal connected with the sowing of paddy in Asar i.e.,

during the month of June-July. The Naeke (Village Priest) sacrifices the fowls to the Jaher Era, Gosai Era, Maran Buru, and Manjhi Haram, invoking each one of them to make the earth fertile.
Mid of June to Mid of July

DISUM SENDRA

This is an annual hunting festival of the Santals which generally held during the month of February-March

though there is no fixed date; this is organised at different places on different dates. The whole program is for three days.
One The date of Buddha Purnima

TUSU

Rural women perform Tushu Puja lately with images. Tushu songs relate to joy, sorrow, imagination, and the experience of villagers.
Mid of November to Mid of December

CHATA PARAB

This Chata or Umbrella festival of the Santals is held in the month of Bhadra (August-September)

where the Chata Bongas are propitiated. On this day after the puja rice-beer is served to the present members followed by traditional singing and dancing. This festival is also borrowed from the neighbouring Hindus of Chhotanagpur plateau.

17th September..

SAKRAT

This festival celebrates in the last day of the month of Pous i.e., mid of January just after the Sohrae festival. This is the third most elaborate ceremony performed by the Santals in West Bengal after Sohrae and Baha. There is a custom among the Santals in West Bengal to attend this festival must with their family, so to participate in this festival all Santals men who are stay abroad for so many reasons (mainly for occupation) come to their village home to participate in this festival. This festival so called as get-together festivals of the Santals.

– Mid of January

MAGHA SIM

Magh Sim is celebrated in the month of Magh i.e., during the month of January-February when the Santals are required to mown the thatching grass. This festival indicates the end of the Santal year when all of officials of the traditional Santal Village Council i.e., Manjhi Haram, Jog Manjhi, Jog Pramanik, Gorait, Naike etc. resigns from their post and after a week ,all take back to their respective post.

Mid of January to Mid of February..

Other tribal Festivals

JANTHAR

This festival is held in the month of Agrahayan i.e., during the month of November-December when all the fields shine with the brown seeds of ripened paddy. Nobody can take this rice before this festival and it is strictly tabooed among the Santals. On this festival day at early morning some paddy is taken from the paddy field to Jaherthan to offer to the Pargana Bonga and Orak Bonga.

Mid of November to Mid of December..

PATA

This is a festival which reflects the effects of Hinduazitation on the Santals’ festivals. This is practically a Hindu festival in which the Hindus worship Mahadev and Parvati but where the Santals worship their Pata Bonga. This festival is celebrated by the Santals in the month of Baisakh i.e., during the month of April-May. It is also seen that this festival corresponds to Charak Puja of the Hindus adopted by the Santals by living with them.

April-May

Baha / Sarul Parab

After the Sohrae festival, Baha is the most important festival among the Santals in West Bengal. This festival is celebrated in the month of Falgun of Bengali calendar i.e., during the month of February-March when the Sal i.e., Sarjom (Shorea robusta) trees start blooming. In the Santal society Sal tree is considered as very sacred tree and there is an important role of different parts of this Sal tree in their all religious rituals, customs and as well as in their different festivals. Before this festival the Santals cannot collect Sal, Mahua, Palas or other flowers until the festival is not over. A puja is held when some sacrifices are made. In the evening all the santals male and female go to the Jaherthan where they spend some time by singing and dancing. There after they return with the Naeke (Village Priest) who then visits every household in the village and gives a Sal flower to the girl of the house who washes his feet. After these ceremonial parts the Santals spend the whole night by singing, dancing and merry making.

February-March