Embracing Nature through Sarhul Festival: A Symbol of Vibrant Adivasi Culture!

Abstract

Sarhul, which literally translates to ‘worship of trees’, is primarily a spring festival celebrated with great fervour and enthusiasm by the tribal people of Jharkhand. It usually falls during April, marking the onset of the spring season when nature is in full bloom, and the earth is adorned with vibrant hues of flowers and new leaves. The festival is a time for the tribal communities to express their gratitude to Mother Nature for her bountiful blessings and seek her continued benevolence for a prosperous future.

The name “Sarhul” finds its roots in the local languages of Jharkhand, where “Sar” signifies “seed” and “Hul” stands for “planted.”

This simple yet profound terminology captures the festival’s essence—seeds are sown to nurture future growth. The festival celebrates nature’s cycle of renewal, where offerings are made to the earth in anticipation of a bountiful harvest.

Keywords

Sarhul, Festival, Tradition, Culture, Tribes, Vibrant Culture, Nature Worship

Learning Outcomes 

After undergoing this article you will be able to understand the following 

1. What's Sarhul Festival?

2. Why Sarhul is celebrated?

3. Where Sarhul is celebrated?Where to visit to witness the Sarhul celebration?

4. What's the traditions and rituals associated with Sarhul?

5. What's about the events organised during Sarhul?

6. Conclusions

7. FAQs

References

1. What's Sarhul Festival?

Sarhul, which literally translates to ‘worship of trees’, is primarily a spring festival celebrated with great fervour and enthusiasm by the tribal people of Jharkhand. It usually falls during April, marking the onset of the spring season when nature is in full bloom, and the earth is adorned with vibrant hues of flowers and new leaves. The festival is a time for the tribal communities to express their gratitude to Mother Nature for her bountiful blessings and seek her continued benevolence for a prosperous future.

2. Why Sarhul is celebrated?

Sarhul Festival is an occasion to worship the village deity who is considered to be the protector of the tribes. People sing and dance a lot when the new flowers appear. The deities are worshiped with saal flowers.

The appeasement of Mother Nature is the most critical aspect of the Sarhul puja. At this time (during the spring season), the saal tree is sprouting new leaves and flowers. Another famous 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.

3. Where Sarhul is celebrated? Where to visit to witness the Sarhul celebration?

Sarhul festival is celebrated every year on Chaitra Shukla Tritiya, the third moon day falling in the month of Chaitra. According to the western calendar, it comes in March or April. 

Places to visit to witness Sarhul

Sarhul puja festivities can be seen in Jharkhand, Orissa and some parts of Bihar. The following places are worth visiting for the Sarhul festival:

1. Ranchi- The city in Jharkhand is known for its fabulous festivities during the Sarhul festival. There are various cultural events organised with traditional dancing and singing. 
2. Jamshedpur- The beautiful city has many events and programmes celebrating the festivals, where people gather to dance and enjoy.
3. Dhanbad- Dhanbad has many puja events, cultural programmes and other events where people get together, dance and sing to celebrate this festival.
4. Cuttack- The beautiful city of Cuttack celebrates this festival with enthusiasm. There are several cultural events and traditional programmes to enjoy the day.
5. Dumka : Away from the fast pace of city life, one can choose to spend a few peaceful and calm days in the lap of valleys, hills and rivers. Situated amidst hills and greenery, Dumka is a beautiful place for a getaway from the hustle-bustle of rapidly growing cities. Situated in Jharkhand, Dumka is one of the holiest places in the state. Sarhul is celebrated there with much fervour.
6. Chaibasa:The celebration of Sarhul in Marietola Chaibasa not only highlighted the rich cultural heritage of the tribal community but also underscored the importance of preserving the environment and the deep-rooted connection between nature and human life.

4. What's the traditions and rituals associated with Sarhul?

Sarhul festival is an important festival for many tribes of Jharkhand, especially for the Oraon tribe. 

The Tribes and Traditions:

The tribes of Jharkhand are  worshippers of nature, and during the Sarhul festival, they worship the Saal tree. The saal tree provides shelter, protects them from weather and provides firewood, so the tribal worship it. The tribal believe that Mother Nature resides in the saal tree, and by worshipping the saal tree and making an offering to it, they worship Mother Nature.

History of Sarhul

Sarhul festival’s history goes back to the Mahabharata period. There are several legends of the festival, most stating that it was celebrated in the spring season. A legend says the villagers during spring offered prayers to the village God or the protector of their tribe. The villagers celebrated it with lots of flowers, dance and music. During that time, the Saal tree, its leaves and flowers were an important part of worship and celebrations.

Popular Legend to celebrate Sarhul 

The legend popular in the tribal community is that there was a demon called Sarem Boodhi. He was killed with simple weapons and tools, such as sticks, etc., by a tribal boy. The news of the killing of demons spread slowly and in many days, so the villagers, when they heard, celebrated the killing. Hence this festival is celebrated for many days. This festival is also known as “Khaddar Gahi Khaddi” or the “festivals of the kids”.

The Rituals

During the Sarhul puja, the village priest called the Pahan fasted for a few days. The day before the festival, he used to bring three new clay pots and fill them with water for the main rituals and worship. The water level of the pots indicated ample rain, famine or less rain—the more water in the pot, the more rain and grain production. The celebrations went on for weeks. It was believed to be an auspicious occasion, and it made the earth fertile as the sowing of seeds started after it

5. What's about the events organised during Sarhul?

People worship souls of their ancestors in their home and offer different food to them. Only after offering foods to souls of their ancestors, they eat food. 

Then they sing, dance in beat of dhol, nagara and mandar. 

The processions are being organised in Sarhul festival in different  parts of Jharkhand.

6. Conclusions

Sarhul is a holy nature festival. The tribals take oath to preserve and protect the mother nature during Sarhul puja. 

7. FAQs

References

The author is obliged to many authors for learning a lot about Sarhul and and acknowledge the contribution of varioud resources on Google

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History of Santals: A Brief Account - Dr Dhuni Soren