🇦🇹 " Happy Sarhul " 🇦🇹
🌳🌱🌿🌾🌾🌾🌿🌱🌳
Sarhul is a popular festival celebrated by various tribes in Jharkhand region. The festival is the tribal New Year and is celebrated by the Munda, Oraon, Ho, etc... tribes of Jharkhand. Sarhul word means to worship trees or worship of the sal tree. As the tribal people are closer to nature, they begin the Sarhul festival with the worship of elements of nature, including trees. After this festival, most of the agricultural activities such as the sowing of seeds, etc... are started by the locals. The tribal also bring the new crops such as paddy, fruits, leaves of trees, and flowers for use in the worship. All the tribal people, including men, women and children, dress in colourful ethnic attire, worship trees, dance, sing and rejoice on this day.
Sarhul is celebrated in spring season on the fortnight of ‘Chaitra’ or the third moon day of the Hindu calendar’s first month. Sarhul festival signifies the beginning of ‘Phaagun’ or the advent of the spring season. It is celebrated till the month of ‘Jeth’ or June.
Sarhul festival is an important festival for many tribes of Jharkhand, especially for Oraon tribe. Oaron tribe is a worshipper of nature, and during the Sarhul festival worships the Saal tree. The saal tree provides shelter, protects them from weather and provides firewood, so the tribal worship it. The tribal believe the Mother Nature resides in the saal tree and by worshipping the saal tree and by making an offering to it, they worship Mother Nature.
The appeasement of Mother Nature is the most important aspect of the Sarhul puja. At this time (during the spring season), the saal tree is sprouting new leaves and flowers. Another popular tribe of Jharkhand, Santhal also celebrates this day as “Baha” or the “Festival of Flowers”. The Santhals use Mahua flowers along with Saal tree flowers for worship and rituals.
During the Sarhul puja, the village priest called the Pahan fasted for a couple of days. The day before the festival, he used to bring three new clay pots, filled them with water for the main rituals and worship. The water level of the pots indicated ample rain, famine or less rain. The more the water in the pot, the more the rains and grain production. The celebrations went on for weeks. It was believed to be an auspicious occasion, and it made the earth fertile as after it, the sowing of seeds started.
Sarhul festival is celebrated every year on Chaitra Shukla Tritiya, which is the third moon day falling in the month of Chaitra. According to the western calendar, it comes in March or April. In 2021, it is falling on 15th April.
Sarhul festival is celebrated with great zeal and enthusiasm in the regions of Jharkhand and Orissa. There are many rituals performed under the saal trees to appease the Gods and Mother Nature. The tribal people offer fruits, flowers, and sometimes sacrifice animals and birds. Houses are decorated, different cuisines made, people get dressed in colourful ethnic wear and perform Sarhul dance to mark the advent of New Year. The Sarhul dance expresses the festive feelings and enthusiasm of the people, and with traditional Sarhul songs, people narrate stories related to the festival. Tribal also drink the locally made brew called “Hadia”.
Sarhul puja festivities can be seen in Jharkhand, Orissa and some parts of Bihar too.
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