Major Festivals: Sarhul, Karma and Sohrai
Major Festivals: Sarhul, Karma and Sohrai
Jharkhand's festival calendar follows the farming year. Sarhul opens the year in spring with the sal flower, Karma comes in the monsoon for the health of the family, and Sohrai honours cattle after the harvest.
Sarhul — spring, sal flower | Karma — Bhadra, karam branch | Sohrai — after harvest, cattle
Sarhul
- The spring festival and the traditional start of the tribal new year
- Celebrated in the month of Chaitra, when the sal tree flowersबार-बार पूछा जाता है
- Worship takes place at the sarna grove, performed by the pahan
- The sal flower is offered and only then may villagers use the new produce
- It is essentially a festival of the earth and nature, marking the marriage of sun and earth
- Celebrated by Oraon, Munda, Ho and other communities across the plateau
Karma
- Celebrated on the ekadashi of Bhadra, in the monsoon season
- A branch of the karam tree is planted in the akhra and worshipped
- Sisters observe it for the well-being of their brothers and the family
- The night is spent in singing and the Karma dance around the branch
- The branch is immersed in water the next day
- It is one of the most widely celebrated festivals across both tribal and Sadan communities
Sohrai
- A harvest and cattle festival, celebrated around the Kartik new moon after Diwali
- Cattle are washed, decorated and worshipped for their role in farming
- Houses are replastered and painted with Sohrai wall art in Hazaribagh and nearby
- Among Santhals it is the biggest festival of the year
- It is also called Bandna in parts of the Sadan belt
Other festivals of the state
| Festival | Time | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Tusu | Makar Sankranti in January | Harvest festival, sung mainly by young women |
| Jani Shikar | Every twelfth year by tradition | Ceremonial hunt undertaken by women |
| Bhagta Parab | Spring | Devotional festival linked to Budha Baba |
| Maghe or Magh Parab | Magh month | Santhal festival closing the agricultural year |
| Hal Punhya | Magh | Ploughing festival marking the new farm cycle |
| Rohin | Start of the sowing season | Seed sowing ritual |
| Jitiya | Ashwin | Observed by mothers for their children |
Points that get asked
- Festival of the sal flower — Sarhul
- Festival of the karam branch — Karma
- Cattle festival after the harvest — Sohrai
- Festival at Makar Sankranti — Tusu
- Ceremonial hunt by women — Jani Shikar
सरहुल में पूजा सरना स्थल पर पाहन कराते हैं और साल का फूल चढ़ाया जाता है। इसके बाद ही गांव में नई उपज का उपयोग शुरू होता है।
Memory hook — Teen parv, teen mausam — Sarhul vasant me, Karma barsat me, Sohrai fasal ke baad. Aur teen cheezein — Sal ka phool, Karam ki daal, Gay-bail.
Yahan confuse hote hain — Sohrai parv aur Sohrai chitrakala ek naam ki do cheezein hain.
✗ Sohrai is only a painting style | ✓ Sohrai is a cattle and harvest festival; the wall painting is done at that time and takes its name from it
✗ Sarhul barsat ka parv hai | ✓ Sarhul vasant ka parv hai; barsat ka parv Karma hai
Exam pointer — JSSC CGL, JTGLCCE, JKCE aur JTET me parv-mausam aur parv-prateek ka matching har baar aata hai. JPSC me parvon ka krishi chakra se rishta Mains me poochha ja sakta hai. Teen mukhya parv pakke karo, baaki ek-ek line me.
Ek nazar me
- Sarhul — spring, Chaitra, sal flower at the sarna
- Sarhul worship is led by the pahan
- Karma — ekadashi of Bhadra, karam branch
- Karma is observed by sisters for their brothers
- Sohrai — cattle festival after the harvest, around Kartik
- Sohrai is also called Bandna in the Sadan belt
- Tusu — Makar Sankranti harvest festival
- Jani Shikar — ceremonial hunt by women
- Hal Punhya — ploughing festival in Magh
- The calendar follows the farming year, not a fixed religious cycle