SARNA DHOROM
“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 “Sarna Dhorom”. 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 “Sarna – Dhorom”. “Jomsim Binti” describes the great savior “Thakur”, the creator of the universe, the details of his creation, the first man and women – Pilchu Haram, Pilchu Burhi, Flora and Fauna and the creation of the seas and rivers and all other water bodies.
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| Pilchu Hadam ar Pilchu Budhi (imagination) |
“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 “Sarna-Dhorom”.
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| Dhorom Chinha |
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
Ghantabari”. 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
Ghantabari.” Among these Gods “Marangburu” is most powerful God. In Santali God
is called Bonga.
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| Bonga |
“Thakur” gave “Marangburu” the great
responsibility of bringing up the first man and woman and making this earth
favorable for all the creature to live in.“Marangburu” also maintained a great
relation and communication between the Gods of “Sermapuri” (Heaven) and
“Thakur” “Marangburu”, his elder sister “Jaher Era” and his brother “Dhorom”
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
“PilchuBudhi”. 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 Budhi”. 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 Budhi” and to make
favourable condition on earth for their habitation. Marangburu got help from
his elder sister, Jaherera and youngest brother, Dhorom Gosain to do this.
Marangburu got them (Pilchu Haram-Pilchu Budhi) 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 Santhal 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 Bonga” (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 Bonga” (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.
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| Sarjom Dare |
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 “Sarna dhorom”. So, in “Sarna dhorom” 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, Dhorom 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.
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| Jaher |
“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 “Atu-Morehor”(Panchajon) christens the
baby and owns him as a member and follower of Sarna dhorom. 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.
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| Itud Sindur |
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, Dhorom 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
“Sarna dhorom” 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
“Sarna dhorom” can be found. This article will be a lengthy one if every detail
of the philosophy of ‘Sarna dhorom’ and its social and religious impact and
influence is explained.
