Baripada, March 13 (LocalWire):-The Santhal community in the tribal-dominated Mayurbhanj district celebrated Sarhul, a festival of flowers to worship the mother god.
The unique festival also called Baha started in the second of February. It will continue till mid-March.
The tribal danced to the tune of drums, performed rituals, carried out processions and sacrificed hundreds of hens.
They celebrated the festival every year when the saal trees get new flowers on their branches.
‘Marangburu Menko Turak’ means Pandab’s five brothers and Draupadi also celebrated this festival in the forest during their Vanabas (exile), said Yoja Majhi a resident.
The festivities conclude with songs and dances in which the whole village joins the merry maker’s procession which starts from the priest’s house and ends in the headman’s house.
The importance of the festival is that the community people never pluck or use flowers and berries whenever they observe the festival.
They believe that people are survived by mother nature, so they first offer new flowers and leaves before their god.
They perform several rituals at ‘Jahersthan’, a place they considered auspicious.
People organise community feast. This ritual is also called water festival where water is sprinkled on all.
It is similar to Holi but colours are not used.
The festival which is dedicated to flowers and berries like Sal, Mango, Jackleg, Mahul, and Dhatika completes on Pana Sankranti.
LocalWire
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